STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Attention: Beginning in the fall semester of 2006 the ASL IS Department will no longer support any Windows operating system older than Windows 2000. We do apologize for this inconvenience.

As you are preparing to come to law school, we want to suggest that you give some thought to sharpening or developing your computer skills. A major part of the practice of law is the development and use of your written communication skills; almost all lawyers regularly prepare written briefs, memoranda, contracts, and other legal documents. As a result, at Appalachian School of Law we provide our students with intensive training in the legal reasoning, research and writing skills necessary to be successful at the practice of law. One of the tools necessary for providing effective written communication in the modern practice of law is a computer with a word processing program.

As you might expect, to successfully complete the writing assignments that are given in law school, most students find that they need access to a computer and some level of mastery of word processing software. Although ASL does not currently require incoming students to purchase a computer (and the school does provide free student access to a limited number of computers in the library), we do strongly recommend that students acquire a computer if they do not already own one.

In choosing a computer, students face a bewildering array of choices. Keep in mind that you will be using the computer primarily to do word processing, so the availability of various multimedia functions, while fun for playing games, may not be necessary – but do be sure that the computer you choose meets the requirements of the word processing program that you intend to use.

Since computer technology seems to be continually advancing (and prices seem to be continually dropping), the best rule of thumb seems to be to shop around carefully and to buy as much computer as you can reasonably afford at the time you need one (to ensure that it doesn’t become obsolete too quickly). Once you have purchased a computer, try to avoid looking at later computer advertisements that show you how much less you would have paid or how much more you would have gotten if you had only waited. The following additional suggestions may be helpful:

Desktop or laptop, operating system – desktop computers are generally cheaper than laptop computers with similar features; however, the portability and convenience of a laptop computer allow you to take notes on your computer in class and work on assignments in the library, should you choose. If you think these features would be useful to you, you may want to consider a laptop. Despite their popularity at some schools and colleges, we strongly recommend that you do not buy a Mac; almost all law firms run PC computers, and you will need to make that transition sooner or later. Your computer should be running Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP Professional.

CPU speed – the speed of the central processing unit (CPU) of the computer is one measure of its performance. Faster (larger numbers) is generally better. A minimum speed of 900 MHz (megahertz) is required by some software programs; many models currently available have speeds of 1 GHz-2.4 GHz (Gigahertz) or higher for a reasonable price.

Memory (RAM) – the computer’s performance is also improved by having more memory or RAM (“random access memory”: the storage location in the computer where it holds programs as they run); current programs usually require at least 512 MB (megabytes) of memory, but at least 1 GB (Gigabyte, 1024 MB) or more is preferable. More memory will often improve the computer’s performance more than a faster CPU.

Disk Space – computer software and data files are stored on hard disks in the computer; again, more space is better. Given the large size of current software programs, the computer should have a minimum of 20GB (gigabytes); 30 GB, 40 GB, or larger would be preferable.

Other hardware – the computer should also have a CD-ROM drive (most software is now distributed on CD-ROM, so you need a CD-ROM drive to install it), and you should also have a good quality printer capable of providing professional-looking output; a laser printer or a quality ink-jet printer will do (color printing is probably not necessary). You should also consider a backup device as a precaution against loss of your files (either a tape backup, a ZIP or similar large-capacity drive, or a CD-ROM writer; backing up data on floppy drives is impractical due to the size of programs and files). Your computer should have a modem (56k) and Network Interface Card (NIC) if you plan to access the Internet off-campus (there are several internet service providers in the area; links to each can be found on the law school’s community links page). If you purchase a laptop and plan to access the school’s network, you will also need a network card. Contact Brian Ratliff, the Director of Information Services at the school, at bratliff@asl.edu or by phone at (800) 895-7411 for details.

One good source of information about computers, including product reviews and price comparisons, is the Cnet website at http://www.cnet.com or the Price Watch website at www.pricewatch.com

Software – the primary piece of software that you will be using is a word processing program. If you do not already have it, you should acquire a recent version of either Corel WordPerfect (which comes in the Corel Office suite) or Microsoft Word (which comes in the Microsoft Office suite). Do not expect to use Microsoft Works, which is often pre-loaded onto new computers; it will be inadequate for your needs in law school.

If you are already proficient in either MS Word or WordPerfect, you probably should not change programs at this point – you don’t need to be learning a new program at the same time you are starting law school if you can avoid it. If you have no experience with either, you will need to choose one, and you should begin learning how to use it as soon as possible. Many lawyers, paralegals and legal secretaries prefer WordPerfect for creation of legal documents because it allows better formatting control of the finished product; however, a number of law firms have switched to MS Word because it has more of the word processing market share in the non-legal community. Both programs have become similar over the years; my experience, however, has been that MS Word users are often more frustrated than WordPerfect users by a number of the tasks required for papers turned in for law school classes. Academic versions of these programs (actually the full version of the software without a paper manual) are available at many college bookstores at greatly discounted prices.

You will also want to have an Internet browser program and an e-mail program. Windows computers come with Internet Explorer (a browser) and Outlook Express (an e-mail program) already loaded; a number of other browsers (such as Netscape) and e-mail programs (such as Eudora) are also available commercially or by download over the Internet. You will be given more information about network and e-mail access when you arrive in the fall. Finally, it is highly recommended that you have anti-virus software, such as the McAfee or Norton anti-virus programs, and backup software to use with the backup device mentioned above.

Required skills – you will need the computer skills described below to function well in law school. If you do not already have these skills, I would suggest that you spend some time before classes start looking at one or more of the numerous books available for novice users (such as the famous “________ for Dummies” books, which are often quite helpful), and practicing with your computer if possible. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough space in this letter to provide you with specific instructions; however, the school will provide computer training sessions during and following orientation.

General skills – you need to know:

· how to turn your computer on and off

· how to use the keyboard and mouse

· how to use Windows Explorer to navigate the computer’s file system

· how to start programs such as your word processor

· how to open and close files

· how to save and retrieve files

· how to rename files and how to save a file under a new name

· how to select a particular printer to use

· how to operate your Internet browser and e-mail programs

· how to download a file from a website

· how to send and receive a file as an e-mail attachment

· and how to use any anti-virus or backup software that you have.

Word processing skills – written assignments in law school must usually be typed, and, like documents filed in courts, are often subject to very specific formatting requirements. As a result, you need to know how to accomplish the following tasks with your word processor:

· Be able to set the font to Times Roman and the font size to 12 point (the default in MS Word is 10 point)

· Be able to set the margins to 1 inch

· Be able to double-space the document

· Be able to indent and single-space individual paragraphs within a double-spaced document

· Be able to number the pages

· Be able to indent the first line of each paragraph by ½ inch

· Be able to create a header or footer with your name and other information in it

· Be able to spell-check the document

· Be able to save the document

· Be able to save the document as a new file under a different name

· Be able to print the document using your primary printer or an alternate printer

· Be able to open an existing document

· Be able to insert the § (section) symbol into a document

· Be able to turn off automatic spelling and punctuation correction

· Be able to boldface, underline or italicize type

It may also be helpful to know how to cut, copy and paste text in the word processor, and to know how to find and replace text.

Again, if you do not have these skills before coming to law school, we will have computer training sessions to help you. Additional, advanced skills (such as tables of contents and tables of authorities) can be learned later.

To sum up, you can expect to use computers and word processing software as a necessary tool in law school and later in the practice of law. If you do not already have the hardware, programs and skills described above, you may want to seriously consider spending some time before school preparing. If you have specific questions about computers, you can contact Brian Ratliff, the Director of Information Services at the law school, by e-mail at bratliff@asl.edu or by telephone at 800-895-7411. If you have questions about financial aid issues, including the availability of financial aid for purchasing a computer, contact the Student Services office at the law school by e-mail at npruitt@asl.edu or by telephone at 800-895-7411.

We wish you the best of luck in your law school experience, and look forward to assisting you in starting your new career.