This conference brings together educational leaders, attorneys, policymakers and professors to participate in panel discussions addressing hot topics and cases in education law and to discuss a range of education law and policy topics in small groups.

The conference carries the name of Martha McCarthy, a faculty member at the IU School of Education from 1975 to 2011 who is nationally recognized as an expert in education law. Her research has covered a variety of education leadership and policy matters, including student engagement, equity in schools, teacher preparation, and religion in schools.

Because of Martha McCarthy's work, IU now houses one of the largest education law programs in the nation. Two faculty members currently focus on education law issues: Janet Decker and Jennifer Rippner.