IT Memo to Incoming Students for Autumn 2023

IT Memo to Incoming Students for Autumn 2023

Dear Incoming Students,

Welcome to the University of Chicago Law School. I would like to take a moment to introduce you to the Law School Office of Information Technology and explain the computing environment and how to make the most out of Law technology and meet the requirements to run Exam4, the Law Schools exam software.

As a student at the Law School, you will be required to have either a Windows or Mac laptop.  Other laptops (Linux, Chromebook, etc.) will not support the software required by the Law School.  You are welcome to purchase a laptop brand of your choosing, however we strongly recommend Apple, Dell, or Lenovo.  To get the best possible pricing on your laptop, you should take advantage of the educational discounts available to you if you purchase through Apple, Dell, or Lenovo’s educational stores for the University of Chicago:

When purchasing your laptop, please reference the minimum Law School requirements outlined below.  If you have any questions about whether something is supported or recommended, please feel free to call or e-mail the Help Desk at any time.

Supported Operating Systems: (required for Exam4 Software)

  • Windows 10 or higher
    • Language Edition Note - if you are running Windows 10 Single Language Edition with a Non-English language, you will be unable to run Exam4. Click here to find out what version you are running. To run Exam4, upgrade to a supported version of Windows OS. Check Exam4 Supported Operating Systems for more information.
    • Widows 7 is no longer supported
  • macOS 10.15.7 or higher

Minimum Hardware Requirements:

To ensure compatibility with our network and the software you will use at the Law School, any system you purchase should meet these minimum requirements:

  • Processor (CPU):
    • Windows PCs:
      • Minimum - Intel i5 (1.5GHz)
      • Recommended – Intel i7 (2.0GHz or higher)
    • Apple PCs:
      • Apple Silicone M1 or higher
  • RAM:
    • Minimum - 8GB
    • Recommended – 16GB or higher
    • Note: For Macs and many ultra-portable Windows PCs, we recommend getting the maximum available, usually 8GB or 16GB, because they are not user upgradable later.
  • Hard Drive/SSD:
    • Minimum - 128GB
    • Recommended - 256GB or higher
  • Additional Hardware:
    • Wired 100/1000-base T Ethernet connectivity, to connect to the Law School wired network. Some laptops, such as the MacBook or the MacBook Air, may require an external adapter for wired Ethernet.
    • Wireless networking via 802.11g/n, to connect to the network in the Law School common areas or in classes which authorize Internet access.
    • An integrated webcam/microphone, to allow for video conferencing, Zoom, Skype, Facetime, Google Hangouts, etc.
    • Online backup service, such as Carbonite or Backblaze. These online backup services back your machine up to the Cloud, and work seamlessly in the background, so important files are always backed up.
  • Screen Size Considerations:
    • Many students find ultra-portable notebooks that feature 13” or smaller screens very convenient due to their light weight and small size. However, the smaller screen real-estate can impact some software, such as Exam4, making it hard to have your notes or outline open and simultaneously viewable on the screen with an exam answer. Some students feel this trade-off isn’t worth it and prefer a larger screen to be able to view documents side-by-side. Either way, it is a personal preference—but you should be aware that choosing one over the other is always a trade-off in some respect.

Extended Warranty Recommendations:

If you purchase Dell, Lenovo, or Apple laptops, we highly recommend the following extended warranties to cover your machine during your time at The Law School.

  • Lenovo
    • 3YR In-Home + Accidental Damage Protection
  • Dell
    • Complete Care
    • 3 Year Enhanced Support with 3 Year Accidental Damage Service
  • Apple
    • AppleCare/AppleCare+

Peripheral Recommendations:

While not essential, the following items are often very useful and nice to have on-hand to prevent having to purchase them in an emergency:

  • A network cable to keep in your case/bag, to connect to the wired network if necessary.
  • A USB “Thumb” Drive for quickly and easily exchanging files with peers.
  • A “Display Adapter” for any notebook that does not have an HDMI video output. (e.g. USB-C > HDMI adapter)
  • A spare power adapter (these get left behind in the Library or classrooms frequently, so it’s always nice to have a spare).
  • A travel/mini surge protector for your notebook. This provides additional protection for your laptop from power spikes and damage from electrical surges.
  • An external hard drive—for backing up or extra storage.

Remote Technology Considerations:

  • Webcams: Most laptops now come with a built-in webcam (and have built-in speakers/microphones). If you are considering a model that does not have a webcam, you should purchase an external USB webcam that you can use with Zoom and other web conferencing utilities.
  • Residential Internet: You should have a residential internet package that provides you with at least 10Mbps of connectivity, up and down if possible, to ensure you don’t have issues with performance on web conference calls.
  • Printing: If access to the building is restricted, your ability to print will be restricted as well. There are many affordable laser printers on the market today, such as the HP LaserJet Pro M203dw or the Brother HL-L2350DW. These are straightforward black and white laser printers. Both HP and Brother make color laser printers, as well as multi-function devices that can print/scan/copy as well, if you would like something with more robust features.

Information Security:

  • Antivirus - You should always install and run anti-virus software. The University provides CrowdStrike End-Point Protection free of charge. You can find more information and download the software here:
  • Security Best Practices - We also strongly urge you to keep your machine up-to-date, with security patches from Microsoft or Apple, as well as making sure your virus definitions are up-to-date for your anti-virus software.
    • Failure to keep your Operating System up-to-date can also lead to problems with required software, such as Exam4.

Software:

  • Exam4 Software:
    • Required for your Law School exams.
    • We highly recommend attending our Exam4 training and completing the practice exams prior to taking your exams.
  • University Provided Software - The University provides the following free software to enrolled students (CNetID required):
    • Office O365:
    • Microsoft Windows 10:
      • If you need assistance selecting or installing an Operating System upgrade, please feel free to contact the Office of Information Technology.
    • CrowdStrike End-point Protection:

Cloud Storage:

If you would like a cloud-based storage solution for sharing documents between devices (desktops, laptops, mobile devices), or for group/project collaboration, the University offers free Box.com accounts. This service functions similarly to Dropbox, or other cloud-based file sharing services, but offers the following advantages:

  1. Free to all students (CNetID required)
  2. 50GB starting quota with the option to expand on requesy

Printing at the Law School:

The Law School provides a number of public printers for student use. You can print to these printers directly from your laptop or from the Law School computing lab machines. The Law School uses software called PaperCut to keep track of student printing and to help minimize waste. Each student receives a quota of 1500 pages per academic year, which is more than enough to print out your course information and assignments. If you exceed your quota and need to print, you may purchase print cards at the Library Circulation Desk or the Copy Center which will allow you additional printing.  A guide to configuring printers on the Law School network can be found here:

Additional Computing Information

The University’s IT group, IT Services, has several resources available for hardware purchases and software licensing. You can find more information at:

Additionally, you can find out more about Information Technology for law students on the Law School website at:

Contacting the Law School Office of Information Technology:

The Office of Information Technology is here to help you with your computing needs, Monday through Friday, from 8:30AM to 5:30PM. You can also reach us via e-mail at helpdesk@law.uchicago.edu or phone at (773) 834-5300. We’re happy to answer any questions we can.

I hope this information proves useful, and please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff if you have any questions about computing at the University of Chicago Law School.

Dave Bolanowski
Director of Information Technology