U. of Chicago Law School Blocks Internet Access

Scott Jaschik writes "While some individual professors have banned laptops from classes at various colleges, the University of Chicago law school is going further, cutting off wireless and wired access in its classrooms to confront what officials see as out-of-control Web surfing. The story was first reported in the Above The Law 'legal tabloid' late last month. Students and the university's CIO question the strategy." Things will get interesting when Sprint WiMax service lights up in Chicago later this year.

About Time!

[eldavojohn]

Let me tell you, they couldn't have made this move any sooner. Some of the law students were having 'independent' thoughts about how the United States legal system should be corrected and it was just causing mass chaos in the classrooms. One student kept reading things online like People Before Lawyers [perkel.com] and began voicing concerns about the plaintiffs and defendants (you know, the actual humans involved) in certain cases. Let's just say that individual had to stay back a few years after having to repeat the class Soul Removal 101 and begin the process over. It was very ugly I think they were only eligible to be a para-legal after that incident.

The "internet" (or "anarchist-net" as we've dubbed it here) is nothing more than a distraction for students and could never ever possibly be used for learning. I suppose next citizens will want every single state and federal law posted on there so they can try to interpret it themselves! Not on my watch, we here at U of Chicago produce no fewer than 50,000 lawyers a year and we will see you in court if you try to circumvent the United State's legal system's need for them (Sprint, we're watching you!).

Banning LAPTOPS?!

[FatSean]

I can understand banning net access, that is often a temptation during a lecture.

Am I supposed to go back to WRITING my notes? This is 2008 for fuck's sake.

Time to transfer . . .

[The Zen Cow Says Mu]

To the University of Californy. I hear they still have some internets there.

Apparently Law Students Can't Be Trusted

[areReady]

One would think that an institution of higher education, particularly one dedicated to post-graduate studies, would be able to trust its students to know what was good for them.

If they spend too much lecture time on the intarblags, it will be reflected in their grades.

Re:Banning LAPTOPS?!

[Cro Magnon]

Meh, you kids are so spoiled. Stone tablets and chisels were good enough for me, they should be good enough for you too.

Next up...

[abolitiontheory]

University of Pheonix follows suit.

Re:Banning LAPTOPS?!

[explosivejared]

I was about to blast you for making a corny old joke, but I looked at your name and thought better of it. I understand your people's proud and ancient culture. We are accepting of all walks of life here. Your writing on stone tablets makes the whole of society richer. I want to thank to thank you for holding against the evils of technology and actually making life worthwhile.

By the way, GUIs nowadays really are so easy that a cave man could use them, if you ever got the inclination.

Our law school (NUSL) never used to allow it

[drhamad]

I'm a 3L at Northeastern, and they never used to allow internet access in the classrooms. Access points were carefully spaced so that they wouldn't reach the classrooms. Then this year, the University finally came to the law school and said "No. You have to have 100% wireless access throughout the entire school." Basically, the University strong-armed the school into 100% wireless because they wanted to be able to brag to US News /etc that the entire University was 100% wireless.

The result? Well, I'm sitting in class right now, so you take your pick.

Won't anyone think of the Children!

[Shadow Wrought]

Doesn't the law school know that some of of the 20 somethings today can die without a constant net connection? FFS, you could at least try scaling them back to handhelds first!

Re:You'd be surprised what these students do

[Reader X]

It strikes me that the viewing of Internet porn in class can be easily remedied with a water pistol.

Re:I'm in class right now

[Anonymous Coward]

By the way, I just submitted this during class.

You have no class.

Re:Apparently Law Students Can't Be Trusted

[Kamineko]

Sorry, what?

Emulators during lecture

[Prototek]

Surfing the internet during class is one of the more benign uses of a laptop. Besides actually interrupting class, having someone with a full-screen SNES emulator playing a flashy RPG in front of you so you can see their screen is way more egregious. Seeing someone watch a movie during lecture is also

I tried to post, but I couldn't access Slashdot

[imyy4u2]

from inside my classroom.