Evolutionary theory is a central tenet of biological science, and it is essential for all science teachers, early childhood through secondary, to have a clear understanding of not only the science behind evolution, but also the legal precedents for teaching evolution in the classroom. This study examines the effectiveness of a curriculum on preservice teachers' attitudes and knowledge of evolution and legalities of teaching it. We used a curriculum designed to encourage conceptual change with two cohorts of preservice teachers. The second cohort was also assigned a research paper on legal issues surrounding evolution in the classroom. Our analysis supports the effectiveness of this curriculum in fighting misconceptions and improving attitudes, with a further boost from the assigned paper. These findings support prior work showing direct confrontation of misconceptions is effective in generating change. It is important for teachers to have not only a firm grasp on the content they will teach, but also a clear understanding of the laws regarding the teaching of this content. Our findings support the need for direct instruction for preservice teachers on the legality surrounding "controversial" educational topics.