Major legal issues confront urban schools today, among them: (1) equal access of racial groups to quality education; (2) students' rights to due process; (3) teachers' rights to due process, academic freedom, collective bargaining, and promotion to administrative positions; (4) equal opportunity for those needing special education; (5) equal opportunity for females; and (6) equal opportunity to share the public's education dollar. A number of legal directives are demanding response from urban school districts. These directives come from Supreme Court decisions, federal funding and administrative regulations, and State court decisions, administrative regulations, and legislation. Often, however, urban educators concerned with desegregation and equal opportunity think first of the Supreme Court. The Court has made major decisions on financing, teachers' rights, sick leave for pregnancy, students' rights, and desegregation. The Court has not yet addressed the issue of athletics for girls. Urban educators should take advantage of the opportunities to reform and redirect education provided by the courts in their recent decisions. (Author/MK)