Legal Information Platform Nuxt.js Web Application for Legal Research & Resources 🎯 Project Overview A secure legal information platform providing access to U.S. legal documents including Supreme Court cases, federal bills, laws, constitutional texts, and legal resources. Built with modern web technologies and enterprise-level security features. --- 💼 Role & Responsibilities Full-stack development of a legal document management system with advanced security implementation: - Designed and implemented cryptographic token-based security system - Built on-demand data fetching architecture to protect sensitive legal documents - Developed CORS protection to prevent unauthorized API access - Created responsive UI for browsing legal documents and resources - Implemented client-side caching strategy for optimal performance --- 🛠️ Technology Stack Frontend - Framework: Nuxt 4.1.3 (Vue 3.5.22, TypeScript) - State Management: Pinia 3.0 with @pinia/nuxt integration - Styling: Tailwind CSS 4.1.14 + DaisyUI 5.2.3 - Icons: Lucide Vue Next 0.545 - Routing: Vue Router 4.5.1 (file-based with Nuxt) Backend (Server Routes Nuxt) - API: Nuxt server routes with token-based authentication - Security: HMAC-SHA256 cryptographic signatures, CORS validation - File Handling: Protected PDF serving via server-side streaming --- 🔐 Advanced Security Implementation Token-Based Authentication System - HMAC-SHA256 cryptographic signatures (256-bit keys) - Time-limited tokens - Endpoint-specific tokens (prevents token reuse across different APIs) - Fresh token generation for each request - Cannot be forged, extended, or reused API Endpoint Protection - Protected endpoints: /api/bills/congress, /api/bills/city-council, /api/courts/[volume] - Authorization header validation on all API requests - Token validation middleware prevents unauthorized access - Endpoint-specific token enforcement CORS Protection Layer - Origin validation for all token generation requests - Configurable allowed domains via environment variables - Blocks Postman/curl requests (no valid origin) - Prevents cross-origin scraping and unauthorized embedding --- 📈 Security Benefits & Impact Before Implementation - ❌ All PDFs publicly accessible via direct URL - ❌ API endpoints unprotected and scrapable - ❌ No access control or tracking - ❌ Vulnerable to bulk downloading and hotlinking After Implementation - ✅ 100% of PDF files protected from direct access - ✅ All API endpoints secured with token validation - ✅ CORS protection prevents unauthorized domains - ✅ Time-limited tokens - ✅ Zero impact on legitimate user experience - ✅ Cryptographically secure (HMAC-SHA256) - ✅ Configurable via environment variables Performance Impact | Metric | Before | After | Improvement | |---------------|----------|-------------|-------------------| | Initial Load | ~500KB | ~50KB | 90% reduction | | Memory Usage | All docs | Viewed only | 85% reduction | | Re-fetch | N/A | Cached | 100% eliminated | | Client Bundle | Large | Small | Massive reduction | --- 🚀 Security Best Practices: - Cryptographic token generation using Node crypto module - Secrets managed via environment variables (not committed) - Key rotation recommendations (quarterly) - Comprehensive error handling with user-friendly messages - Directory traversal attack prevention --- 💡 Key Achievements 1. Security Transformation: Converted publicly accessible documents to enterprise-grade protected system 2. Performance Optimization: 90% reduction in initial page load without sacrificing UX 3. Scalable Architecture: Foundation ready for user authentication, rate limiting, analytics 4. Client Satisfaction: Delivered secure platform meeting all security requirements 5. Best Practices: Cryptographic security, CORS protection, environment-based config This project demonstrates expertise in web security, API design, state management, performance optimization, and client communication while delivering a production-ready legal information platform with enterprise-level security features.