Full-stack developer and legal engineer based in Gauteng, South Africa. I specialize in building robust, high-performance database backends and elegant frontends, bridging the gap between software systems and legal technologies.
I focus on creating production-ready applications, custom search systems, and orchestrating AI workflows to automate complex domain-specific tasks. With a background in both Paralegal Studies and Full-Stack Web Development, I design systems where data precision, compliance, and scalability are critical.
name: Don Samuel Santos
handle: SantanDon
location: Gauteng, South Africa 🇿🇦
focus: Full Stack Web Development · Legal Engineering · AI Orchestration
portfolio: https://don-santos-portfolio.vercel.app/
status: Open to Full-Stack Developer & Legal Technology roles|
Languages |
Frontend |
Backend & Tools REST APIs · System Architecture |
⚖️ DocketDive — AI Legal Assistant 
An AI-native legal research assistant that automates court roll tracking, citation verification, and case digest generation.
| Role | Creator & Full-Stack Engineer |
| Stack | Python · React · TypeScript · AI Orchestration |
| Document Specs | Integrates legal document standards (Harvard citation, court filing formats) directly into PDF export pipelines |
| Core Systems | Multi-worker AI swarm designed to cross-verify citations and score research quality against case relevance |
| Impact | Reduces manual legal research and tracking times from hours to minutes |
Why it matters: In legal workflows, errors in citation or case rolls are highly costly. DocketDive implements multi-worker verification to cross-check legal precedents, allowing lawyers and paralegals to draft compliant, court-ready briefs in minutes.
🎓 StudyPod LM — Interactive Study Platform 
An interactive learning platform that automates educational study sessions, progress tracking, and structured study plans.
| Role | Creator & Lead Developer |
| Stack | React · Node.js · MongoDB · Vercel |
| Features | Orchestrates API endpoints to sync study resource materials, peer requests, and progress metrics |
| Analytics | Visual dashboard modules tracking student completion rates and study trends in real time |
| Availability | Full-stack application deployed on Vercel for high-availability access |
| Domain | Proficiency | Details |
|---|---|---|
| AI Orchestration | ◉◉◉◉○ | Building multi-worker AI swarms for verification and task automation |
| API Integration | ◉◉◉◉◉ | Orchestrating endpoints, database synchronization, and data exchanges |
| Legal Technology | ◉◉◉◉○ | Harvard citation compliance, court-ready PDF generation, case digest scoring |
| Prompt Engineering | ◉◉◉◉○ | Professional certification in Anthropic Claude model utilization |
| Full Stack (MERN) | ◉◉◉◉◉ | Development using MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js |
# Don Santos — Q3 2026
building:
- DocketDive: refining legal citation verification models and user feedback loops
- StudyPod LM: enhancing analytical dashboard components and session sync APIs
learning:
- Advanced Legal Writing & Research workflows
- Distributed AI architectures and local model deployments
open_to:
- Full-Stack Developer roles
- Legal Technology & AI automation consultingCreator & Full-Stack Engineer — DocketDive (Jan 2024 – Present)
- Developed an AI-native assistant automating court roll tracking, citation verification, and case digest creation.
- Applied legal document compliance parameters directly to product PDF generation pipelines.
- Implemented multi-worker validation logic to audit citation accuracy.
Creator & Lead Developer — StudyPod LM (2023 – 2024)
- Designed full-stack architecture using React, Node.js, and MongoDB, hosting on Vercel.
- Built interactive dashboard visualizations monitoring student completion rates and study metrics.
- Programmed API routes handling concurrent sessions and study plans.
Student Assistant — University of Johannesburg (Faculty of Law) (2022 – 2023)
- Maintained academic record databases for Faculty of Law students with high confidentiality.
- Worked within institutional compliance framework and data protection guidelines.
- Facilitated communication and coordination between faculty staff and student groups.
- ⚖️ Paralegal Studies — University of Johannesburg (UJ)
- 💻 Full-Stack Web Development — HyperionDev
- 🧠 Claude 101 — Anthropic (via Skilljar)
- 🤖 AI Fluency: Framework & Foundations — Anthropic (via Skilljar)
- 🌐 Artificial Intelligence in the 4IR — University of Johannesburg (UJ)
- 📊 Financial Literacy & African Insights — University of Johannesburg (UJ)
"Simplicity is the prerequisite for reliability." — Dijkstra