People in legal crisis cannot find trusted resources -- legal aid has waitlists, services vary by location, eligibility rules are complex, and urgency is not triaged. A person facing eviction in 48 hours gets the same response as someone exploring a minor dispute months away. The help exists, but the connection is broken.

A geo-based legal resource search engine with eligibility filtering, urgency prioritization, and "best next help" recommendations tailored to the user's specific situation. It connects people to the right resource at the right time, with realistic wait-time estimates and eligibility pre-screening.

flowchart LR
    subgraph Input["User Context"]
        LOC[Location]
        CT[Case Type]
        INC[Income]
        URG[Urgency]
    end

    subgraph Engine["Search Engine"]
        GF[Geo Filter]
        EM[Eligibility Matcher]
        US[Urgency Scorer]
        GF --> EM --> US
    end

    subgraph DB["Resource Database"]
        LA[Legal Aid]
        PB[Pro Bono]
        CH[Court Help]
        CO[Community Orgs]
    end

    subgraph Ranking["Ranking Engine"]
        RK[Relevance + Urgency Score]
    end

    subgraph Output["Results"]
        PL[Prioritized List]
        DI[Distance + Wait Times]
        EL[Eligibility %]
        REF[Referral Tracker]
    end

    Input --> Engine
    DB --> Engine
    Engine --> Ranking
    Ranking --> Output

• People in legal crisis -- find help fast when every hour counts
• Legal aid intake staff -- triage and route referrals efficiently
• Court navigators -- connect litigants to the right services
• 211/hotline operators -- provide accurate legal resource referrals
• Community health workers -- bridge the gap between health and legal needs

• Geo-based legal aid search with radius filtering -- find resources near any address, zip code, or county
• Income/eligibility pre-screening -- check qualification before sending someone to a waitlist
• Urgency-based prioritization -- emergency situations surface faster, more relevant results
• "Best next help" recommendations -- when the first choice is full, suggest realistic alternatives
• Wait time and capacity indicators -- know what to expect before calling
• Referral tracking and follow-up -- track whether referrals led to actual help

npm install @justice-os/resource-discovery

import { SearchEngine, EligibilityMatcher } from '@justice-os/resource-discovery';
import type { SearchQuery, SearchResult } from '@justice-os/resource-discovery';

// Search for eviction help near a zip code
const engine = new SearchEngine();

const results: SearchResult[] = await engine.search({
  location: { zipCode: '64108' },
  caseType: 'eviction',
  urgency: 'emergency',
  income: { annual: 28000, householdSize: 3 },
  radiusMiles: 25,
});

console.log(`Found ${results.length} resources:\n`);

for (const result of results) {
  console.log(`${result.resource.name}`);
  console.log(`  Distance: ${result.distanceMiles} mi`);
  console.log(`  Eligibility: ${result.eligibilityScore}%`);
  console.log(`  Wait time: ${result.estimatedWaitDays} days`);
  console.log(`  Phone: ${result.resource.phone}`);
  console.log();
}

• Real-time capacity feeds from legal aid organizations
• SMS/text-based search for low-connectivity users
• Integration with 211 and court self-help center databases
• Multi-language search interface via multilingual-justice
• AI-powered "what you need to bring" preparation checklists
• Outcome tracking to measure referral-to-help conversion rates

src/
├── index.ts
├── search/
│   ├── search-engine.ts       # SearchEngine — main orchestrator
│   ├── geo-filter.ts          # GeoFilter — radius, zip, county
│   └── ranking-engine.ts      # RankingEngine — urgency + relevance scoring
├── eligibility/
│   ├── matcher.ts             # EligibilityMatcher — income, case type, demographics
│   └── rules/
│       └── README.md          # How to add eligibility rules
├── resources/
│   ├── database.ts            # ResourceDatabase — CRUD
│   ├── provider-types.ts      # Legal aid, pro bono, court help, community org types
│   └── capacity-tracker.ts    # CapacityTracker — wait times, availability
├── referrals/
│   └── referral-tracker.ts    # ReferralTracker — follow-up tracking
├── components/
│   ├── ResourceSearch.tsx     # Search interface
│   ├── ResourceCard.tsx       # Individual result
│   └── MapView.tsx            # Map with pins
└── types/
    └── index.ts

This repository is part of the Justice OS open-source ecosystem — 32 interconnected projects building the infrastructure for accessible justice technology.

Built with purpose. Open by design. Justice for all.

This project is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, legal representation, or an attorney-client relationship. No warranty is made regarding accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular legal matter. Always consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before making legal decisions. Use of this software does not create any professional-client relationship.

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