The increasing number of special education-related lawsuits has become costly, time-consuming, and a strain on school-community relations--in short, an issue of growing concern to U. S. school systems. To identify factors associated with this type of litigation, this study analyzed data from one state's 10-year experience with due process special education cases. Interviews with special education directors provided further insight on conditions that seem to foster special education litigation and on strategies that could prevent it. (Contains 11 tables.)