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Technology

The Technology Department is dedicated to providing support for faculty, staff, and students at the University of Kansas School of Law. If you require assistance, contact either Altaf Uddin or Jesse Kaufman. If we are not available and you need immediate assistance you can contact the Computer Center Help Desk at (785) 864-8080.

Spring 08 Final Exams

Instructions for registering for and installing Exam 4 software for Spring 2008 can be found here.

Wireless Network

Computer Users in Class The Law School is a participant in the University of Kansas Wireless Zone program. We have an extensive wireless network allowing Internet connectivity almost anywhere in the building. To take advantage of this service, you must be affliated with the university (faculty, staff or student) and you must have a portable computer with wireless capability. Most portable computers (laptop, notebook, and handheld) come with built-in wireless capability. Check the documentation or contact the manufacturer of your computer or device to verify its wireless compatibility. If your computer does not have internal wireless capability, you can add it via an external PCMCIA card or USB port wireless adapter. PCMCIA and USB wireless adapters work equally well.

Internal and external wireless peripherals must conform to the 802.11b, 802.11g or WiFi standard to function correctly on the Law School network. Wireless adapters will list 802.11b or 802.11g compliance on the packaging and/or in the manual. Currently the Law School network does not support other wireless standards such as 802.11a or 802.11n. If your laptop's wireless device supports 802.11b or 802.11g, it should function correctly in Green Hall.

You can expect to find dependable 802.11b/g wireless adapters for around $30-$50 at Best Buy, Office Depot, Target, and Wal-Mart. 802.11g/n cards are available at a slightly higer cost ($50-$60) from the same retailers. Wireless network card setup support is provided to students at no charge.

The School of Law operates a building-wide Local Area Computer network, with approximately 160 personal computers. The School and the Law Library are served under a single technology umbrella, and the network architecture provides a single point of entry to all electronic resources in the School of Law. All faculty, students, and staff have access to up-to-date word-processing, spreadsheet and database software, along with electronic mail and full Internet access.

Computer Users in Class Students have access to more than 50 computers in the building. Wireless access points are available in the Library and in classrooms for students to connect to the internet with their personal notebook computers. KU online ID and password are required to gain access to the student computer and the wireless network. Configuration and networking software are provided free of charge by the law school's full time IT staff.<-->

Student email accounts are provided free of charge.



Computing Facilities at the Law School

Computer Users in Class

Primary Student Access Computers.

  • Computer Lab 306D, 8 PCs
  • 3rd Floor Carrels, 10 PCs
  • 2nd Floor Library Lobby Area, 4 PCs
  • All computers are equipped with full Internet Access, word-processing software, and access to Law Library printers. Additionally, these computer may be used to access legal research databases (Lexis-Nexis, Westlaw, index to legal periodicals, GPO monthly catalog, West Kansas Cases, etc.) To print Lexis-Nexis or Westlaw documents for free, as it is intended, student need to follow Lexis-Nexis or Westlaw instructions on how to print documents and not just send the print job to Law library printers.

Research Computers

  • 4 PCs
  • Located on the second floor of the library
  • Access to legal research databases (Index to Legal Periodicals, GPO Monthly Catalog, West Kansas Cases, etc.)
  • Full Internet Access
  • Not equipped for word-processing.
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Clinics and Student Publications

  • Legal Aid, 6 PCs
  • Defender Project, 4 PCs
  • KU Law Review, 6 PCs
  • Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy, 6 PCs
  • All equipped with full Internet Access, word-processing (Word and WordPerfect).

Wired Network Connections

  • Students should use the wireless service to access the internet on their personal computers. Wired computer ports are reserved for computers that belong to KU Law School.
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Local Area Network and Printing Information

Login Procedures

  • Log in to student computers using KU Online ID and password
  • Make sure 'Home' is selected as domain name
  • Username is generally the same as your KU online login. If you do not have a KU online user ID, your user name is your last name-first initial i.e.: skywalker-l
  • When logging in for the first time, you will be prompted to enter a password.
  • Password must be at least 7 characters, have at least 1 uppercase and 1 lowercase letter, 1 number, 1 special character, and can not include any part of your name.
  • You are limited to one login at a time.
  • NOTICE: During the Summer of 2007 we will be undergoing changes to our network that will affect the way you log in to our network and print. We will post new login and and printing procedures at that time.
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Network Drives

  • Each student has a 20 MB of free storage space available on their KYou portal.
  • To access KYou portal visit http://students.ku.edu and use KU Online ID and password

Printing Procedures

Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw provides free printing of Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw documents to current students. Student need to follow Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw instructions on how to print documents to Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw printers. All other documents may be printed to Law Library printers. Students are allocated 100 pages of free printing by the University at the beginning of each semester. Once that has been used, they will need to add more funds to their KU cards. Each page will cost 8 cents to print. Report any printing problems (poor quality, jammed paper, etc.) to the Circulation Desk.

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Student Email Information

  • Sign up for one or all of these Internet services with the University

    • Exchange Email Account
    • Register outside E-mail address
    • Personal Web Pages
    • Dialup Internet Access
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  • Read Your Exchange Email with Outlook Web Access, accessible at student access computers and research computers. This allows you to get your mail anywhere you can use a web browser
  • Outlook Client/Outlook Express can be used on your own computer

Recommended Computer Purchase

The law school recommends purchasing a notebook computer from a well-known company with good service and support. Dell, Gateway and IBM are among the companies we have had good experiences with. Currently, we are recommending the Dell Latitude D610 model (or newer) laptop with a 3 year warranty.

If you prefer not to purchase a Dell Latitude D610, here are some minimum requirements.

  • Pentium® Core 2 Duo or Athlon X2 processors(we do not recommend Celeron processors)
  • at least 2 GB Memory
  • 160 GB Hard Drive
  • 802.11g Internal wireless adapter
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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Windows XP (or Linux or Mac OS) on my computer?

You are free to use any operating system you'd like on your own computer, but the IT staff can provide only minimal support for non-Windows operating systems. The law school uses Exam4 for final exams; Exam4 currently only supports Windows XP, Windows Vista, and OSX 10.4+.

How much space do I get for storing files and email on the network?

You are allowed 500 MB of space for storing email on the email servers (administered by Academic Computing Services).

Additionally, you are alloted 20 MB of free storage space available on their KYou portal.

Are notebook computers required?

No. Notebooks are not required, but are highly recommended. We have 25 general use student access computers available for all law students to use. These computers are available at any time the law library is open. Additional computers are available in the Legal Aid and Defender Project clinics, and the Law Review and Law Journal offices.

Can I use an Apple Macintosh?

Naturally, you're free to purchase and use any computer you'd like. However, the vast majority of law firms, corporations and government agencies that employ law school graduates use Windows computers, and the law school believes you should have substantial experience with them.

Should I buy a Notebook or Desktop?

The law school recommends purchasing a notebook computer. They provide greater flexibility and mobility. The price difference between notebook and desktop computers has narrowed significantly.

Is the system I already have sufficient?

To remain useful and productive for 3 years of Law School, we recommend your computer meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Pentium 4 or newer processor, (we do not recommend Celeron processors)
  • 2GB Memory
  • 80.0 GB Hard Drive
  • Internal wireless network card

What do we mean when we say we do or don't "support" a product?

While the technical support staff is here to help you with your computer problems, we can't offer complete support for student-owned computers. Any problems not connected with your Law School network access will need to be referred to your computer's vendor or manufacturer.

I own or plan to buy a system with 1GB instead of the recommended minimum of 2GB. Is this OK?

Generally, RAM has the greatest performance to cost ratio. Computers running Vista or Windows 7 will show drastic improvments with 2GB of memory or more. However, netbooks running XP may be able to perform adequately with 1GB.

I want to buy an X brand (i.e. non-Dell, IBM, Gateway) computer.  What do you think?

We strongly recommend you buy from a manufacturer which provides good technical support and has an established . If you experience notebook connectivity problems with a brand that we do not support, you may experience a lot of inconvenience in trying to work with the manufacturer to get it to work on your own. The majority of the computers in the Law School are Dells and we have received excellent technical support from them. Other things you should consider include: Does the notebook include Microsoft Office 2000, Corel WordPerfect Office 2000 or will you need to purchase separately? Does it include (and work with) our recommended networking cards? Does it come with Windows 98? Check with the Better Business Bureau to find out if the X brand company has any complaints against them. For your protection, pay with a credit card. Find out what support options are offered. Do they offer 24 hours 7 days a week technical support? For example, if you are in the middle of final exams and your hard drive fails when will they fix it? Is their technical support located in the United States? Is the computer covered for parts, labor and shipping? For how long is the coverage? It should be covered for the 3 years you will attend the Law School (after all, you will have more important things to worry about than trying to figure out how to get a broken notebook fixed).

How can I get help with my Notebook?

Call or email Jesse Kaufman or Altaf Uddin to make an appointment. If your problem relates to connection to the law school network, we will resolve the problem. If your problem is with your computer hardware or operating system, we will try to offer you a preliminary diagnosis of the problem, and refer you to your computer's vendor.

Do I really need a 3-year warranty or will one year suffice?

We highly recommend 3-year service contracts. All computers end up with problems. If you encounter one after your warranty expires, you'll likely spend as much fixing it as you would have on extending the warranty in the first place. You might spend more. The last thing you want to deal with during your studies is getting a computer repaired without a warranty.

What software should I have on my computer?

Microsoft Word is the law school's word processor of choice, though Corel WordPerfect is also available on the student access PC's. Note that even though both applications claim to read each other's files, the conversion process can easily become a nightmare, particularly if your document uses footnotes. If you are sharing files with faculty and other students, you should use the same word processor for the best compatibility. If you are using Sun's OpenOffice suite, make sure to convert any documents to Word format before submitting. Anti-virus software is critical. University of Kansas students can obtain Sophos antivirus software for free. Consult the virus information page at the main KU web site. If you have an email account with the University on the new Exchange system, you can find how to obtain and configure Outlook here.

How can I connect my computer to the Law School network?

You can connect your own notebook to the Law School Network and get full Internet access and printing Westlaw and Lexis/Nexis.

The law school provides wireless networking at no charge. The "JAYHAWK" wireless network is available to students, faculty, and staff. Once connected to this network, you will be required to

Should I purchase a printer?

You can print from the lab computers. This service costs 8 cents a page and is charged to your KU card account. The University provides 8 dollars of free printing each semester. However, should you wish to purchase your own, we strongly recommend a laser printer. Xerox, Hewlett-Packard, and Lexmark make quality Ink Jet printers, and HP also makes quality laser printers.

Can I get dial-up Internet access?

No. Kansas University does not provide dial-up service to to the Internet.

I can't afford to buy a notebook.  Is any financial help provided by the school?

The Financial Aid Office may be able to award you additional financial aid for the purchase of a computer. For more information, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid at 785-864-4700, or osfa@ku.edu.

Where is the best place to buy a notebook?

Our recommended manufacturers all sell direct. See http://www.dell.com/, http://www.lenovo.com/, or http://www.toshibadirect.com. For comparisons and reviews, see http://www.newegg.com/ or http://www.pricewatch.com/.

Questions? Comments? Please email them to altaf@ku.edu.