Litigation having to do with pupils occurred with greater frequency in 1980 than in the past. The greatest increase dealt with the handicapped and with substantive rights of students. Cases involving handicapped students generally focused on parent requests for residential treatment, extended-year programs, and in-class assistance for their children. The defending school systems argued the adequacy of less costly alternatives to the parent requests. Although several cases reached the federal appeals level, substantial disagreement still exists concerning the definition of "appropriate" placement and treatment. In the substantive rights area, courts are increasingly being asked to rule on the propriety of materials printed in student publications and contained in school libraries. In addition, cases involving religious matters increased as fundamentalist groups and persons opposing those groups resorted to the courts. In the desegregation area, the courts have continued the policy of ordering busing and other system-wide remedies to combat the effects of illegal school segregation. Law suits over such diverse topics as the use of sniff dogs in student searches, gay prom dates, 80-mile bus rides, basketball summer camps, and vaccination exclusions were also dealt with. (Author/IRT)