The number of lawsuits pertaining to educationally related issues is on the rise in the US (Mounts, 1999). Garner (2000) reports that teachers consider legal issues the third most important area of teacher preparation. However, few universities offer undergraduate courses in educational law and few programs offer comprehensive training concerning the types of legal issues that new teachers are expected to know. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness about important legal issues focusing on child abuse, safety in the art room, freedom of expression and religion, and special education that could affect both art teachers and their student teachers. (Contains 2 tables and 4 endnotes.)