Andrew Zajac

For decades, the University of Chicago Law School has been a proud beacon of conservative/libertarian thought, a key intellectual breeding ground for the Federalist Society, a proud bulwark against collectivist decision-making and groupthink.

So much so that its motto ought to be: We're not going to save you from yourself!

On second thought, maybe they are.

For the past several weeks the legal blogosphere has been atwitter with discussion about Dean Saul Levmore's ukase shutting off Internet access to law school classrooms.

This is hardly a bolt from the blue. Discussions about getting students off the Web during class has been kicking around law school circles for several years.

Last April, Georgetown Law Prof. David Cole wrote an intelligent Washington Post op ed argument in favor of restricting net access. (Reachable through the link above.)

But you could chalk up his position to being at a Jesuit school. Everyone knows that Jesuits aren't shy about doing something for your own good.

U of C, the midwestern mecca of free markets, was supposed to be different.

Levmore told the National Law Journal that he's pulling the plug to help students concentrate on course instruction.

What's the real story here?

Was it ego? We're told some U of C Law profs have them.

Did somebody get a nose out of joint becase he or she discovered students checking scores on ESPN or making dinner reservations instead of taking notes during Legal Issues in Cyberspace?

C'mon. Somebody out there knows.