Legal News

Internet Access in the Classroom? Not at Chicago Law

By Ashby Jones

Should law-students have Internet access in class? We’re torn on this one. On the one hand, we say yes: There probably is a crystal-clear explication of Pennoyer v. Neff just a mouse click away that could help cut through the fog of a meandering classroom discussion. On the other, we say no. You can’t watch Sportscenter during class, why should you be allowed to visit gossip sites while your poor professor (who could likely be making more in private practice) is lecturing her heart out on the First Amendment?

Anyway, the latest: No more fun for the students at the University of Chicago Law school. According to this NLJ story out today, the school has banned Internet access from its classrooms.

Dean Saul Levmore said he had been trying to simply persuade students not to distract themselves with the Internet during class, but turned to simply shutting off access when he found that the school’s building had the capability to block wired and wireless access.

“It got a lot easier when I found I had technology on my side,” he said in an interview with the NLJ.

LB readers, we’ve visited this topic before, but would love to hear your thoughts on it now. Here’s our question: Can the Web really help the classroom experience? Or is it just a distraction?

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on April 16, 2008 (boomark / email).