To Offset Costs of Exam4, Law School Incorporates Ad Integration

In an effort to prevent student use of generative AI on law school exams, the Law School implemented the use of exam software Exam4 in the fall. The cost? $23,000 annually. University of Virginia President Scott Beardsley has gently encouraged the Law School to find a way to offset the cost of this vital expenditure, under threat of punishment of somehow even colder cookies on Cookie Friday. 

The solution? Ad integration. During exams this semester, students will be “gifted” a short thirty-second “break” every eight minutes of their exam. Law students need not fret: the advertisements will be informative, entertaining, and targeted; Exam4 has been running in the background of students’ devices all semester. Every meme sent during class, every March Madness basketball game streamed—Exam4 has recorded it all and is prepared to offer students a targeted advertisement experience.  

“I actually think this will be really good for me. I do my best work when the top half of my screen is just a video recording of someone else playing Minecraft,” said Gen-Z law student Benvin Lozada ’28.  

Some students have been less enthusiastic about the prospective “interruptions.” For his part, Dean Jason Dugas ’01 is “not concerned.” He believes “once these dissenters see the advertisements, they will see that we remain very conscientious about the value of students’ time.” It is so far unclear what Dugas means, as advertisements this year have been kept well under wraps, “so as not to spoil the fun surprise awaiting students during their exam,” but confidential sources report that advertisers include Barbri, the Law Weekly, and UVA Honor. 

For students concerned about this “very minimal intrusion” into their test-taking time, the Law School has offered an alternative. This semester, the Law School will pilot a donation plan in two tiers. Tier One Donors, who contribute $100 per exam, shall earn a “Skip Ad” button, which will appear ten seconds into the advertisement. Tier Two Donors, who contribute $15,000 per exam, shall earn an A. 

Author: Alexis Pudvan ’28 nrt9un@virginia.edu