Using Electronic Bluebook™ (EBB) at Duke University School of Law
Updated April 12, 2013.
Contents:
1. Technical Requirements:
Electronic Bluebook requires that your computer be a PC which uses Microsoft® Windows XP®, Microsoft Windows Vista®, or Microsoft Windows 7® as its original and primary operating system or a Macintosh MacBook running OS X version 10.6 or later. Language settings must be set to "English" and keyboard input settings must be set to English - U.S. For assistance with those settings, see our Windows instructions or Mac instructions (Mac instructions require Adobe Reader).
Your computer must be able to connect to the Internet during the exam, with either a wired Ethernet connection or a wireless network connection. For optimal performance we strongly recommend you use a wired Ethernet connection. EBB will upload the final version of the exam to a law school server and you will not need to furnish a diskette or other media.
The download of EBB provided on this page is for use only by students in Duke Law courses, and will not work for EBB purposes at other institutions.
2. Downloading and Installing EBB:
(a) We have a new version for Windows users for this spring; the Macintosh version has also been updated for this spring. We strongly recommend all students upgrade to this version of EBB from the fall 2012 because there are important bug fixes and improvements. You cannot use any version of EBB older than fall 2012.
If you have an earlier Windows version installed on your computer, please remove it using Programs and Features (or Add/Remove Programs) on the control panel (Macintosh users can just drag the old version to the trash). You should download and install the new version at least a day before your exam. You will need at the very least one hour before you enter the exam room to be relatively confident that your software installs correctly. Note that the help desk WILL NOT BE ABLE to help you install EBB on the morning of your exam because of limited staff and time.
Start your copy of EBB to see the installed version you have. Current versions are:
Windows: 4.00.0001, Expires Aug 2013.
Mac OS: 2.07.0005, Expires Aug 2013.
(b) In order to download, first complete the registration page, where you must log in with your NetID. The page will require you to verify that you have read and understand both this document and the Law School’s Procedures for Taking Exams on Computer, available on the web here. Once you verify that you have done so, you will be redirected to the page with the download links.
(b) If you are a student from another law school who does not have a Duke NetID or have other issues, please contact the help desk to obtain the software.
(c) Windows users: Download "ElectronicBluebookSetup_SP13.exe." If you are using IE you may select "Run the software." If you are using Firefox or another browser, save the file to a known location, then run the application to begin the installation. Windows Vista users: after you select the "Finish" button, the installation program will take a few more minutes to install components. Please let this process finish before trying to run EBB for the first time.
(d) Macintosh users: Download "ElectronicBluebook_Mac_SP13.dmg." Open the DMG file, and then copy the "Electronic Bluebook" program into the Applications folder.
3. Before taking an exam with EBB
(a) You must test EBB to be sure it can save exams to our server by completing a sample exam before the exam period; if you are successful, you will see a green screen after submitting. If you do not test, your exam may not be saved to the network, depriving you of an important back-up mechanism. If you are unsuccessful submitting an exam, you should set any firewall program you are using to allow an exception for Electronic Bluebook. The program you wish to enable is "ElectronicBluebook.exe." If you do not know how to adjust your firewall program or need further assistance, please see the help desk in the library.
(b) Start the program and practice using it well before you take an exam to familiarize yourself with the program. Test out every feature you are likely to use during an exam so that there are no surprises when you are writing the exam itself.
(c) Before entering an exam room, check your computer's power settings on the control panel. Be sure that it is not set to go into "suspend" or "hibernation" during a period of inactivity. If it does go into either mode the EBB program will freeze your computer and you will not be able to use it to complete the exam.