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CounselCall

CounselCall helps clients find attorneys and book consultation sessions without back-and-forth scheduling.

Demo

CounselCall demo

Test Credentials

Demo Login Box

  • Shared password for seeded users: password123
  • Attorney accounts:
    • attorney.avery@example.com
    • attorney.casey@example.com
    • attorney.quinn@example.com
    • attorney.rowan@example.com
  • Client accounts:
    • client.01@example.com
    • client.02@example.com
    • client.03@example.com
    • client.04@example.com
    • client.05@example.com

Why This Matters

People who need legal help often struggle to find a lawyer who matches their needs and has open time. This app solves that by letting clients filter attorneys by practice area and submit booking requests in one place.

Attorneys often manage availability through messages and calls, which leads to missed updates and accidental overlaps. CounselCall gives attorneys a direct way to set weekly hours, block days off, and handle bookings from one dashboard.

Clients and attorneys also need a shared source of truth for booking status, cancellations, and feedback. This app tracks the full booking lifecycle so both sides can see the same information.

Screenshots

Client Payment Flow

Client payment view

Client payment view

Client Dashboard

Client payment view

Key Features

Feature (plain English) Technical implementation
Secure login for two account types JWT auth in httpOnly cookies, bcrypt password hashing, role-aware route protection for CLIENT and ATTORNEY
Attorney profile management Profile data stored in Prisma AttorneyProfile model with bio, practice areas, hourly rate, and photo URL
Weekly schedule control Attorneys create recurring Availability entries by day of week and time range
Day-off blocking BlockedDate records remove specific dates from bookable availability
Reliable booking requests Booking API validates input with Zod and writes pending bookings to the database
Double-booking prevention Conflict query checks overlap: existing.startTime < requested.endTime and existing.endTime > requested.startTime
Fast availability lookups Upstash Redis caches day-level availability with 60-second TTL and cache invalidation on schedule updates
End-to-end workflow Attorneys confirm/cancel bookings; clients view upcoming/past bookings, cancel (24-hour rule), and leave reviews

Tech Stack

  • Frontend: Next.js App Router + Tailwind CSS
    Chosen for fast page rendering, clean routing, and easy responsive styling.
  • Backend: Node.js + Express + TypeScript
    Chosen for simple, explicit REST APIs and type-safe server logic.
  • Database: PostgreSQL (Supabase) + Prisma ORM
    Chosen for reliable relational data modeling and migration-driven schema changes.
  • Security: jsonwebtoken + bcrypt + cookie-based auth middleware
    Chosen so sessions stay server-validated and passwords are never stored in plain text.
  • Caching: Upstash Redis REST API (@upstash/redis)
    Chosen to speed up repeated availability checks with minimal operational overhead.

Stripe Connect Integration

  • Why Connect (not Checkout): This app is a marketplace flow where clients pay the platform and attorneys receive payouts. Stripe Connect enables destination charges, platform fees, and attorney onboarding under one integration.
  • Required environment variables:
    • Backend: STRIPE_SECRET_KEY, STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET
    • Frontend: NEXT_PUBLIC_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY
  • Test card for local QA: 4242 4242 4242 4242 (future date, any CVC, any ZIP)
  • Attorney onboarding flow: Attorney clicks Connect Bank Account -> backend creates/reuses Stripe Express account -> Stripe onboarding link redirects attorney -> status sync updates stripeOnboardingComplete.
  • Payment flow summary: Booking creation initializes a manual-capture PaymentIntent when attorney onboarding is complete. Client authorizes payment, then attorney confirmation captures funds. Platform fee is set to 10% via application_fee_amount.

ER Diagram

Show/Hide ER Diagram 
erDiagram
    User ||--o| AttorneyProfile : has
    User ||--o{ Availability : defines
    User ||--o{ BlockedDate : blocks
    User ||--o{ Booking : clientBookings
    User ||--o{ Booking : attorneyBookings
    User ||--o{ Review : clientReviews
    User ||--o{ Review : attorneyReviews
    AttorneyProfile {
      string id
      string userId
      string bio
      json practiceAreas
      float hourlyRate
      string photoUrl
      string stripeAccountId
      boolean stripeOnboardingComplete
      datetime createdAt
    }
    Availability {
      string id
      string attorneyId
      int dayOfWeek
      string startTime
      string endTime
    }
    BlockedDate {
      string id
      string attorneyId
      date date
    }
    Booking {
      string id
      string clientId
      string attorneyId
      date date
      string startTime
      string endTime
      string status
      string notes
      string paymentIntentId
      int amountInCents
      datetime createdAt
    }
    Review {
      string id
      string clientId
      string attorneyId
      int rating
      string comment
      datetime createdAt
    }
Loading

Local Setup

These steps assume you already have Node.js installed. This project currently runs on Supabase PostgreSQL, so you will connect using a DATABASE_URL.

  1. Clone the repository and enter it: 
    git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/counselcall.git
cd counselcall
  2. Install backend dependencies: 
    cd server
npm install
  3. Install frontend dependencies: 
    cd ../client
npm install
  4. Create environment files: 
    cd ..
cp server/.env.example server/.env
cp client/.env.example client/.env.local
  5. Fill server/.env and client/.env.local with real values.
  6. Generate Prisma client and run migrations: 
    cd server
npm run prisma:generate
npm run prisma:migrate
  7. Seed demo data: 
    npx prisma db seed
  8. Start backend: 
    npm run dev
  9. Start frontend in a second terminal: 
    cd ../client
npm run dev
  10. Open the app:
    • http://localhost:3000

Environment Variables

Show/Hide Environment Variables

Backend (server/.env)

Variable Example value Description
PORT 4000 Port for the Express API server
NODE_ENV development Runtime mode used for security/cookie behavior
CLIENT_URL http://localhost:3000 Allowed frontend origin for CORS
DATABASE_URL postgresql://postgres:[PASSWORD]@db.[PROJECT_REF].supabase.co:5432/postgres Database connection string used by Prisma
JWT_SECRET replace-me-with-strong-secret Secret key used to sign and verify JWT tokens
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL https://example.upstash.io Upstash Redis REST endpoint
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN your-upstash-token Upstash REST API token
SUPABASE_URL https://your-project.supabase.co Supabase project URL (used for uploads)
SUPABASE_SERVICE_KEY your-service-role-key Server-side key for secure storage operations
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY sk_test_... Stripe secret key used for Connect and PaymentIntent operations
STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET whsec_... Stripe webhook signing secret used for signature verification

Frontend (client/.env.local)

Variable Example value Description
API_URL http://localhost:4000 Backend base URL used by Next.js rewrite/proxy
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL /api Browser-facing API path prefix (kept same-origin)
NEXT_PUBLIC_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY pk_test_... Stripe publishable key used by Stripe Elements on the booking page

API Reference

Show/Hide API Reference
Method Endpoint Auth required Description
POST /api/auth/register No Register a new user account
POST /api/auth/login No Authenticate user and set JWT cookie
POST /api/auth/logout Yes Clear auth cookie
GET /api/auth/me Yes Return current authenticated user
GET /api/attorneys No List attorneys, optional practice area filter
GET /api/attorneys/:attorneyId No Fetch attorney profile, availability, and reviews
POST /api/bookings Yes (Client) Create booking request (pending)
POST /api/stripe/connect Yes (Attorney) Start Stripe Connect onboarding and return redirect URL
GET /api/stripe/connect/status Yes (Attorney) Return current attorney Stripe onboarding status
GET /api/stripe/connect/return Yes (Attorney) Handle Stripe return redirect and sync onboarding status
POST /api/stripe/webhook No (Stripe-signed) Process Stripe webhook events (payment/account updates)
GET /api/dashboard/attorney/profile Yes (Attorney) Get attorney profile
PUT /api/dashboard/attorney/profile Yes (Attorney) Update attorney profile
GET /api/dashboard/attorney/availability Yes (Attorney) List recurring availability
POST /api/dashboard/attorney/availability Yes (Attorney) Add recurring availability entry
PUT /api/dashboard/attorney/availability/:id Yes (Attorney) Update recurring availability entry
DELETE /api/dashboard/attorney/availability/:id Yes (Attorney) Delete recurring availability entry
GET /api/dashboard/attorney/blocked-dates Yes (Attorney) List blocked dates
POST /api/dashboard/attorney/blocked-dates Yes (Attorney) Add blocked date
DELETE /api/dashboard/attorney/blocked-dates/:id Yes (Attorney) Remove blocked date
GET /api/dashboard/attorney/bookings Yes (Attorney) List attorney bookings (upcoming/history)
PATCH /api/dashboard/attorney/bookings/:id/status Yes (Attorney) Confirm or cancel booking
GET /api/dashboard/attorney/reviews Yes (Attorney) List reviews for the attorney
GET /api/dashboard/client/bookings Yes (Client) List client bookings (upcoming/past)
PATCH /api/dashboard/client/bookings/:id/cancel Yes (Client) Cancel booking if 24+ hours ahead
POST /api/dashboard/client/reviews Yes (Client) Submit attorney review

Deployment Guide (Vercel + Render)

Frontend on Vercel

  1. Push your code to GitHub.
  2. In Vercel, click Add New Project.
  3. Import your GitHub repo.
  4. Set Root Directory to client.
  5. Add environment variables:
    • API_URL = your backend URL (Render)
    • NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL = /api
  6. Deploy and copy your Vercel URL.

Backend on Render

  1. In Render, click New -> Web Service.
  2. Connect your GitHub repo and set root to server.
  3. Configure build/start:
    • Build: npm install && npm run build
    • Start: npm run start
  4. Add all variables from server/.env.example.
  5. Set CLIENT_URL to your Vercel frontend URL.
  6. Redeploy and copy the backend URL.

Final wiring

  1. Update Vercel API_URL to point at Render backend.
  2. Confirm login, browse attorneys, and booking flow in production.

Security Features

  • Passwords are never saved in plain text; they are stored as bcrypt hashes, which helps protect user accounts if database data is exposed.
  • Login state is stored in httpOnly cookies, so browser JavaScript cannot directly read tokens.
  • Protected API routes verify identity before running, so private dashboards stay private.
  • Role checks keep client-only and attorney-only actions separate.
  • Input validation blocks malformed requests before they reach database operations.
  • Booking conflict checks prevent overlapping sessions from being created.

What I Learned

I chose to keep the backend as explicit REST endpoints instead of abstracting everything behind a service layer early on. It made it easier to reason about role-specific behavior and quickly verify each flow end-to-end while building.

I decided to use Redis as a best-effort cache for day-level availability instead of as a critical dependency. If Redis fails or is unavailable, the app still reads from the database and continues working.

I used JWT in httpOnly cookies rather than local storage tokens because it reduces token exposure in the browser. That decision made CORS and cookie settings more important, but it led to a safer default auth setup.

I also kept schedule data relational and simple (availability + blocked dates + bookings) instead of introducing a heavy calendar engine. That tradeoff made conflict logic straightforward and easier to maintain while still supporting practical booking use cases.

Roadmap

  • Add automated unit and integration tests for booking and auth flows.
  • Add a richer calendar UI for slot selection on the attorney detail page.
  • Add email notifications for booking status updates.
  • Add pagination and search for larger attorney and review datasets.
  • Add request rate limiting and structured audit logging.
  • Add multi-timezone support for attorneys and clients in different regions.
  • Add attorney notifications for new bookings (email or in-app).
  • Add attorney-to-attorney client referral workflows.
  • Add attorney-initiated booking and scheduling flows.

About

CounselCall is an attorney booking platform that lets clients find lawyers by practice area and schedule consultations without back-and-forth messaging. Built with Next.js, Express, PostgreSQL, Prisma, JWT auth, and Redis caching to ensure secure, conflict-free scheduling and fast availability lookups.

counsel-call.vercel.app/

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