This document provides a detailed discussion of two laws and three court cases affecting the education of non-English speaking children. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 addresses equal education opportunities for all Americans. The Four Point Memorandum issued by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare specifically deals with discrimination and denial of services on the basis of national origin. The Lau vs. Nichols legal case was filed in San Francisco to protect the rights of Chinese speaking students who were not receiving adequate education because of their ability to speak English. This landmark case in the movement for equal educational opportunity for non-English speaking people considered to have spurred bilingual education programming. The Serna vs. Portales case continued the push for bilingual education by directing its efforts to Spanish-speaking persons in New Mexico. A court evaluation of the merits of bilingual/bicultural education concluded that (1) bilingual education was the best way of meeting the needs of the Spanish-speaking children, and (2) ordered an expansion of these services. The Aspria et al vs. the Board of Education case was brought to court in the interests of youngsters born in Puerto Rico or recent adult immigrants who are also parents. The Aspira decision led to a consent decree signed by both parties to provide bilingual programming for New York City children needing help in language. (Author/AM)