Leobit
Legal Case Management Platform
Legacy System Modernization for a Top-tier Legal Case Management System Provider in the United States
ABOUT
the project
Client:
Location:
USA
|MO
Company Size:
Industry:
Legal
Solution:
A seamless migration of the legacy system of one of the prominent US-based providers of legal case management software. By leveraging the power of Angular, Leobit unlocked the enhancements in page load speed and overall system performance. Our custom-built search functionality empowered lightning-fast retrieval of database information within an impressive timeframe of less than 2 seconds. With a meticulous step-by-step migration approach, we’ve revamped the system, safeguarding uninterrupted operation for the users.
It was a real delight working on this project and the team did an amazing job challenging the specifics of the software development in a legal industry.
CUSTOMER
Our client is an eminent US-based provider of legal case management software, offering judges and prosecutors an advanced tool for efficiently managing court cases. With a vast client base of over 500 organizations, within the legal, alongside an impressive user count surpassing 13,000, they have established themselves as a leader in the industry. With 25+ years of experience, they have optimized the operations of numerous prosecutor and defender offices within the US judicial system.
BUSINESS
CHALLENGE
Our client offers a web application for the government and legal industries, catering to judges and prosecutors working on various court cases. The app was developed in the 1990s, hence, the client has recognized the need to upgrade their system to improve speed and user experience by adding new features and migrating legacy code to new technologies. They aimed to enhance the system interface to improve intuitive use and alleviate the workload of admins responsible for onboarding new users.
One of the most significant challenges of this project was executing a flawless migration while assuring the platform's ongoing operation and functionality. As the client's web application facilitated vital operations within the government and legal sectors, consequently, any form of disruption during the migration could have resulted in substantial negative effects, such as legal process delays.
Why
Leobit
The LegalTech company discovered Leobit on Clutch, recognizing our expertise that perfectly matched their requirements. Initially, we started working together on a small project for process automation. As we proved ourselves to be a trustworthy vendor, the client involved Leobit in another project, this time to collaborate on a legal case management system. This marked the beginning of a long-term collaborative partnership that proved highly advantageous for both parties involved.
Project
in detail
The customer approached us intending to modernize their legacy application, focusing on code migration and platform design enhancements. Initially, our collaboration started with a team of 5 experts, and as the client was satisfied with the work process, we grew to 4 teams consisting of 19 experts.
To enhance operational efficiency, we formed 4 dedicated teams, each with their specific responsibilities. We had 2 backend development teams that were focused on the migration of the code and components. Our UX designers handled the revamping of the system interface and developed new functionality. Collaborating closely with designers, a proficient team of frontend developers diligently implemented the redesigned features and brought them to life in the final product.
Code Migration
Our primary objective was to migrate the codebase from ASP.NET Forms to Angular 11 while ensuring the client's system, critical for government and legal sectors, experienced no disruption. To ensure a smooth and seamless migration process, we rewrote the application module by module while maintaining support for the current app.
Our skilled developers meticulously rewrote the legacy codebase to align seamlessly with Angular, optimizing its performance using TypeScript. An important aspect of the migration process entailed the integration of a diverse array of UI components from the legacy system into the new framework. This encompassed the seamless implementation of various essential elements, such as forms, buttons, modals, settings pages, maintenance pages, search functionality, user profile pages, services pages, menu, and navigation. By carefully incorporating these UI elements, the development team ensured that the system retains its core features while taking advantage of the capabilities of the new framework.
API Endpoints Modifications
During the migration of the legacy code to the new framework, our team encountered legacy API endpoints on the backend that demanded special attention. API endpoints serve as the entry points for communication between the frontend and backend systems, enabling data retrieval through requests. To seamlessly integrate these endpoints with Angular, we had to perform specific modifications.
Each endpoint underwent a meticulous evaluation to determine the most appropriate approach for handling it within the new framework. In cases where endpoints were outdated, we completely replaced them with new implementations. For other endpoints, it was more practical to replicate them and make the necessary adjustments to align with Angular's framework.
By addressing the legacy API endpoints and making the required modifications, we achieved a successful integration with Angular. This allowed us to leverage the existing backend infrastructure while ensuring compatibility with the new frontend framework.
Constructing an Advanced Search Engine for the System
The client's platform plays a crucial role in providing prosecutors with access to core case information. However, the existing search functionality implemented with ASP.NET Web Forms proved to be inefficient and slow, leading to inadequate retrieval of data.
To address this issue, our team of designers and developers took the initiative to build a brand-new search engine from the ground up to substitute the old one, incorporating cutting-edge technologies and a new design. We focused on making it easier for users to input search queries, apply filters, and navigate through the search results.
We integrated the Azure Cognitive Search service into the system, which involved creating a separate database called the Index within the Azure environment. Instead of querying the entire database, the search now relies on the Azure Index database, which contains a carefully filtered subset of records that are relevant to the user's search. If earlier the user could get all records, now only those that were specifically added. These records are specifically chosen to align with user preferences and search patterns, ensuring more efficient and targeted search results.
The combined efforts of the designers and development team resulted in a redesigned search functionality that significantly enhanced the system's performance. The search time, which previously took a substantial amount of time, was drastically reduced to an impressive 1–2 seconds. This remarkable improvement not only expedited the retrieval of information but also provided users with a seamless and efficient search experience.
Technology Solutions
-
Code Migration from ASP.NET Forms to Angular: Developers diligently rewrote the codebase, adhering to Angular's specific syntax and leveraging TypeScript to optimize the code.
-
Step-by-step Migration Approach: A hybrid approach was adopted to migrate the codebase from ASP.NET Forms to Angular 11. This involved rewriting the application module by module while maintaining support for the current app. This approach minimized disruptions for customers during the upgrade.
-
Legacy API Endpoint Modifications: Legacy API endpoints on the backend were identified and modified to ensure seamless integration with Angular. Outdated endpoints were replaced with new implementations, while others were replicated and adjusted to align with Angular's framework.
-
Azure Cognitive Search Integration: The development team leveraged Azure Cognitive Search to implement the redesigned search functionality and enhance search performance.
Value
delivered
-
Seamless Migration: The codebase was successfully migrated from ASP.NET Forms to Angular 11, ensuring a smooth transition without disruptions or challenges for the client's critical system used in government and legal sectors.
-
Improved Performance: The adoption of Angular resulted in notable enhancements in page load speed and overall system performance, resulting in a more efficient and seamless user experience
-
Enhanced Search Performance: By implementing Azure Cognitive Search, we successfully reduced the loading speed from an average of 1 minute to 1–2 seconds.