Patent US 8,447,713

A method for legal knowledge modeling and automated legal evaluation, such as for online, questionnaire-based legal analysis, is provided. Information, such as facts and characteristics of a legal situation, as it relates to a legal conclusion, are modeled in an artificial neural network. The artificial neural network may comprise a plurality of nodes, wherein each node is associated with one or more weights and a function that calculates a legal conclusion based on one or more input values and the weights. The artificial neural network is automatically updated on a periodic basis to reflect new legislation or court decisions. Using the artificial neural network, a legal conclusion based on the user's answers to a questionnaire may be determined. The legal conclusion is modified upon the input of evidence, which is in the form of answers to a set of questions designed to identify a legal conclusion.