AutoDiscovery

Automated discovery compliance: build once, comply everywhere.

A Midnight-based dApp that automates legal discovery with jurisdiction-aware compliance,
zero-knowledge proofs, and privacy-first architecture.

This project is built on the Midnight Network.

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Project Overview · Build Plan · Architecture · Discovery Protocol · Email Safety

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🚨 The Problem

With legal discovery sanctions reaching $8.5 million in a single case and 6 attorneys referred to the State Bar for discipline, discovery management in its current state is a huge problem in the US.

The legal discovery process is messy, time consuming, and varies by jurisdiction — with enormous consequences for compliance failures resulting in lost cases, unfavorable case delays, extremely expensive sanctions, and the potential of being disbarred.

💰 $8.5M+ top sanction (single case) · 📊 $704,094 avg sanction · 🏛️ 38,000+ NYC cases dismissed (2024) · ⚖️ 28% of malpractice claims from missed deadlines · 💸 $30B+/yr litigation cost from discovery

In New York City alone, 38,000+ cases were dismissed in 2024 due to discovery compliance failures — and conviction rates dropped from 50% to 25%. Nationally, discovery consumes 20–50% of total litigation costs — over $30 billion a year.

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💡 The Solution

With autoDiscovery.legal, we aim to organize and formalize a hard-coded, geographically compliant, law-based protocol that will help organize, distribute, and give proper, accurate, and secure access control to user-aggregated legal discovery.

This protocol will abstract away liability, reduce man hours and overall costs, increase profits, and form an immutable (existing forever) proof of compliance, custody, provenance, and access.

It is our hope that autoDiscovery.legal will be the default protocol for accurate and dependable discovery/evidence management — backed with error insurance that will protect law firms from errors and omissions.

"AutoDiscovery doesn't just help you manage discovery — it mathematically proves you did it right."

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⚙️ What AutoDiscovery Does

🔐 Privacy-First Discovery Automation Jurisdiction Rule Packs — Modular, per-state procedural rules auto-applied at case creation (IRCP, URCP, CR, FRCP, and more) 9-Step Discovery Protocol — 24 universal document categories, party attribution, origination tracking, chain-of-custody, and AI-assisted metadata extraction Zero-Knowledge Proofs — Compliance attestations become immutable court records without exposing underlying data Selective Disclosure — Reveal only what's required, nothing more

🛡️ Intelligent Safeguards Email Safety Protocol — Threat-level classification when composing emails to opposing counsel, judges, or external parties (details) Tandem Approval — N sets of eyes must sign off before sensitive emails can send Attachment Scanning — Metadata warnings for EXIF data, tracked changes, hidden PDF layers Case Contact Management — Team-based contact organization with role-aware visual cues, precedence ratings, and connected-contact highlighting

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🏗️ Architecture

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        USER'S MACHINE                                │
│  Local state: documents, AI metadata, search indexes, encryption     │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                     PRIVATE LEDGER (on-chain, encrypted)             │
│  Document metadata · Party records · Deadlines · Case details        │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                   PUBLIC LEDGER (on-chain, immutable)                 │
│  Compliance proof hashes · Timestamps · Production Merkle roots      │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                    SEALED LEDGER (write-once)                        │
│  Commitment schemes · Pre-disclosure freezes                         │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

📜 Smart Contract Suite (6 Contracts)

Contract	Purpose
discovery-core	Case lifecycle, discovery steps, obligation tracking
jurisdiction-registry	Modular rule packs per jurisdiction
compliance-proof	ZK attestation generation and verification
document-registry	Production tracking, Merkle trees, Twin Protocol bonds
access-control	YubiKey-based authentication, role-gated permissions
expert-witness	W-9/I-9 workflows, qualification attestation

📐 Full Architecture → · YubiKey Access Control → · Discovery Automation →

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🧰 Tech Stack

Layer	Technology	Purpose
Frontend	React 19 · Vite 6 · TypeScript 5 · Tailwind CSS 4	Glass-morphism UI with jurisdiction comparatives
UI Components	shadcn/ui · Lucide Icons	Accessible, themeable component library
Smart Contracts	Compact (Midnight)	Privacy-preserving ZK smart contracts
Blockchain	Midnight Network	Dual-ledger (public + private) with ZK proofs
Wallet	Lace Browser Extension	User key management and transaction signing
Build	Turborepo · npm workspaces	Monorepo orchestration
Hosting	Vercel / Netlify	Frontend deployment

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📁 Project Structure

AutoDiscovery/
├── frontend-demoland-vite-react/           # React application
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/            # Reusable UI (email safety dialog, etc.)
│   │   ├── layouts/               # App shell, sidebar, navigation
│   │   ├── pages/                 # Dashboard, case view, contacts, login
│   │   ├── providers/             # Provider pattern (auth, cases, docs, AI, contacts, email safety)
│   │   │   └── demoland/          # Mock providers for demo environment
│   │   └── lib/                   # Utilities
│   └── public/
├── autodiscovery-contract/        # Compact smart contracts & TypeScript types
│   └── src/types/                 # Strongly-typed data model (6 entities)
├── autodiscovery-cli/             # CLI tools for deployment & operations
├── docs/                          # Comprehensive documentation (20+ docs)
│   ├── discovery-automation/      # 9-step discovery protocol deep dives
│   └── reference/                 # Jurisdiction research archives
├── media/                         # Brand assets
└── turbo.json                     # Monorepo configuration

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🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

Tool	Version	Link
Node.js	v23+	nodejs.org
npm	v11+	Bundled with Node.js
Docker	Latest	docker.com
Git LFS	Latest	git-lfs.com
Compact Compiler	Latest	docs.midnight.network
Lace Wallet	Latest	Chrome Web Store

Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone git@github.com:SpyCrypto/AutoDiscovery.git
cd AutoDiscovery

# Install all dependencies (monorepo)
npm install

# Build smart contracts
npm run build

# Start frontend in demoLand mode
npm run dev:frontend

Environment Variables

# Copy environment templates
cp autodiscovery-cli/.env_template autodiscovery-cli/.env
cp frontend-demoland-vite-react/.env_template frontend-demoland-vite-react/.env

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🚢 Deployment

1. Running the Proof Server (Local / Undeployed)

The repo ships Docker Compose files in autodiscovery-cli/ for running the proof server locally without a live network:

# Start proof server only (for contract compilation & testing)
cd autodiscovery-cli
docker compose -f ps-undeployed.yml up

# Or start the full local dev stack (proof server + indexer + node)
docker compose -f standalone.yml up

Default endpoints when running locally:

Service	URL
Proof server	http://localhost:6300
Indexer	http://localhost:8088
Node	ws://localhost:9944

The proof server image used is midnightnetwork/proof-server:7.0.0.
Before deploying to PreProd, check docs.midnight.network/relnotes for the latest Ledger 7.0-compatible image tag.

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2. Funding a Wallet on PreProd

To interact with Midnight PreProd you need a wallet funded with tDUST tokens:

1. Install the Lace wallet browser extension and create or import a wallet.
2. Switch Lace to the Midnight PreProd network.
3. Copy your unshielded address from Lace.
4. Visit the faucet at https://faucet.midnight.network/ and request tDUST tokens.
5. You will need two values when configuring the CLI .env:
   • Wallet mnemonic (24-word BIP-39 phrase) → MY_PREVIEW_MNEMONIC
   • Unshielded address → MY_UNDEPLOYED_UNSHIELDED_ADDRESS

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3. Environment Variable Reference

autodiscovery-cli/.env

Variable	Description	How to obtain
MY_PREVIEW_MNEMONIC	24-word BIP-39 mnemonic for the deployer wallet	Export from Lace wallet settings
MY_UNDEPLOYED_UNSHIELDED_ADDRESS	Unshielded tDUST address used for local/undeployed testing	Copy from Lace wallet (unshielded address)

frontend-demoland-vite-react/.env

Variable	Description	How to obtain
VITE_AD_MODE	demoland for mock data, realdeal for live blockchain	Set to realdeal when connecting to PreProd
VITE_CONTRACT_ADDRESS	On-chain address of the deployed discovery-core contract	Output from CLI deployment (npm run tui-preview)
VITE_MIDNIGHT_NETWORK	Midnight network target (testnet for PreProd)	Use testnet for PreProd
VITE_AI_SERVICE_URL	URL for the AI metadata extraction service (optional)	Set if running the AI parsing service locally

frontend-realdeal/.env

Variable	Description	How to obtain
VITE_CONTRACT_ADDRESS	On-chain address of the deployed contract	Output from CLI deployment

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4. Switching to realDeal / PreProd

Follow these steps to connect the frontend to a live PreProd deployment:

1. Deploy the contracts from the CLI:

   cd autodiscovery-cli
   npm run tui-preview

2. Copy the contract address printed in the deployment output.
3. Update the frontend .env:

   VITE_AD_MODE=realdeal
   VITE_CONTRACT_ADDRESS=<address from step 2>

4. Restart the frontend dev server.

Note: The realDeal provider layer is currently a stub (see finding 5.1 from the Build Club review). Setting VITE_AD_MODE=realdeal will currently still fall back to demoLand providers. This section documents the intended flow for when the realDeal providers are fully implemented.

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5. Reference Resources

Resource	Description
midnight-local-dev	Local development stack
midnight-doc-manager	Working PreProd integration example
Midnight Release Notes	Docker image versions & Ledger compatibility

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📚 Documentation Index

Document	Description
Project Overview	Executive summary, problem statement, solution architecture
Build Plan	Living roadmap with phase tracking
Smart Contract Partitioning	6-contract architecture, private/public/sealed state mapping
Discovery Automation	9-step protocol, 24 categories, Merkle hashing, Twin Protocol
Email Safety Protocol	Threat levels, recipient flags, attachment scanning, tandem approval
Case Contacts Feature	Team-based contacts, star precedence, connected glow, drag reorder
YubiKey Access Control	Hardware key auth design (3 modes)
DemoLand vs RealDeal	Mock vs production architecture split
Jurisdiction Deep Dive	ID, OH, WA, UT, CA, NY rule mapping
Customer Analysis Matrix	Market research and adoption strategy
UI Design Notes	Brand palette, glass morphism, component guidelines
Pitch Deck	11-slide investor pitch with stats, horror stories, and ROI math
Pitch Fodder	Shock & awe stats, landmark cases, one-pager, shareable synopsis
Week 3 Homework	Build Club deliverables tracker, resource pack, 3-min script outline
GeoZ Oracle	🌐 Companion project — privacy-preserving geolocation oracle on Midnight (GeoZ.us / GeoZ.app)

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🌎 Jurisdiction Coverage

🥇 Idaho (IRCP) · 🥈 Utah (URCP) · 🥉 Washington (CR) · 4️⃣ California (CCP) · 5️⃣ New York City (CPLR) · 6️⃣ Ohio (Civ.R.)

Modular jurisdiction rule packs — add new states/federal circuits without code changes. Ohio included early due to serendipitous research.

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📧 Email Safety Protocol

One of AutoDiscovery's standout features — a multi-layered protection system that prevents accidental disclosure to the wrong party.

Threat Level	Trigger	Action
SAFE	All recipients on our team	Standard send
CAUTION	Court staff, unknown recipients	Review content
DANGER	Opposing counsel or their team	Attachment review + tandem recommended
CRITICAL	Judge or magistrate	Tandem approval REQUIRED (2 approvers)

Features include recipient auto-detection against the case contacts database, attachment metadata scanning (EXIF, tracked changes, hidden PDF layers), image preview before send, and a tandem approval workflow where N approvers must sign off on sensitive communications.

📧 Full Protocol Documentation →

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👥 Team

Spy @SpyCrypto Domain Expert · Legal Discovery Specialist 20 years complex litigation paralegal experience. Published statistics reports for Idaho government agencies. Jurisdiction expertise across Idaho, Utah, and Washington.

Midnight Team full-stack development, smart contract architecture, and ZK protocol design.

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_{Copyright 2026 AutoDiscovery Team. All rights reserved.}