Eight papers examining different aspects of the effects of court decisions on education are contained in this book, the first of two volumes. The papers were solicited from scholars in the fields of law, political science, sociology, and education in conjunction with a 1979 conference held in Madison, Wisconsin. The conference was called to analyze the impact of judges' decisions on school policy, particularly in the areas of desegregation, finance, and student rights and discipline. The contributors analyze the courts' role in fostering the racial integration of the nation's schools. Chapter 1 contains a plaintiff's view of the process set in motion 25 years ago by "Brown v. Board of Education." Chapter 2 points out differences between social science and the law that restrict the use of social science testimony in public school desegregation cases. The third and fourth chapters are indepth studies of the desegregation processes in two cities, Boston and Milwaukee. (Author/LD)