Dean Barry Boyer
State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law

Professor Robert Reis
State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law

The University of Buffalo Law School is in the process of transforming itself from a technologically primitive institution to a school that uses information technology as an integral part of its teaching, research and public service missions. This process of change can be described as a progression from a general vision for the Law School, to a set of specific goals and outcomes that can be achieved from specific strategies.

The vision for UB Law School was established in a curriculum plan adopted in 1993. The New Curriculum outlined in that report was built upon increased focus on specific legal practices, with students and faculty working in small-group settings where faculty could provide rich feedback on student work products. Information technology had two potential roles in this vision: it could make some aspects of curriculum-delivery more efficient, so that scarce faculty resources could be shifted to "higher value-added" instructional activities; and it could provide an environment for doing group work free from normal classroom constraints of time and space.

To realize the potential that IT offered, it was necessary to develop and refine operational goals for infrastructure (hardware, software, tech support) and course development (number and kinds of e-courses, use of IT in other courses and programs). An important part of goal-setting is developing a realistic understanding of the skills and attitudes of different user groups, which we approached through multiple channels: a survey research instrument administered to different user groups; opportunities to comment on draft technology plans; and discussions in focus groups and faculty meetings.

Progress in reaching objectives requires a series of strategies that range from scrounging the necessary resources to changing the culture of the Law School. Dialogue among faculty and tech support staff regarding the pedagogical advantages and disadvantages of IT is important for several reasons: it facilitates information-sharing and mutual support among those who are experimenting with IT; it helps keep the institution focused on pedagogy and lawyers’ analytic skills rather than hardware; and it develops a shared sense of what an ideal electronic environment for the Law School would look like. Since existing software products do not yet provide an adequate setting for group work in courses, innovation inevitably requires some compromising and "patching" among existing products.