Terms & Conditions
Last updated: February 2026
1. Not Legal Advice
Nothing on section1983.org constitutes legal advice. This website provides general educational information about 42 U.S.C. § 1983 civil rights litigation and related legal topics. It is not a substitute for professional legal counsel.
No attorney-client relationship is created by your use of this site, your reading of any content, or your participation in comments or community discussions. The Institute for Police Conduct, Inc. (IPC), its contributors, and its affiliates are not your lawyers.
If you are facing a legal matter, consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. Many bar associations offer free or low-cost referral services. The National Police Accountability Project maintains a referral list for civil rights attorneys.
2. AI Disclosure
Some content on this site was researched, drafted, or edited with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools. We believe in transparency about this.
What AI helps with: Research assistance, initial drafting, citation formatting, and content organization.
What humans verify: All legal citations are checked against public court records (primarily CourtListener). Legal analysis is reviewed for accuracy. AI-generated content is edited for tone, accuracy, and clarity before publication.
Limitations: AI can hallucinate — it can generate plausible-sounding but incorrect legal citations, case holdings, or procedural rules. Despite our verification process, errors may exist. If you find one, please report it.
3. Use at Your Own Risk
You use the information on this site at your own risk. Specifically:
- Laws change. Statutes are amended. Courts issue new opinions. What's accurate today may not be accurate tomorrow.
- Courts disagree. Federal circuits frequently split on the same legal question. What's established law in the Fifth Circuit may not be in the Ninth.
- Facts matter. Small factual differences can change the legal outcome entirely. General legal principles may not apply to your specific situation.
- Deadlines are unforgiving. Statutes of limitations, filing deadlines, and procedural requirements vary by jurisdiction and are strictly enforced. Missing a deadline can permanently bar your claim.
Before relying on any information from this site in a legal proceeding, independently verify it using primary sources (statutes, court opinions, and your jurisdiction's local rules).
4. No Warranties
This site and its content are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of accuracy, completeness, reliability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.
IPC does not warrant that the information on this site is current, complete, or free of errors. IPC does not warrant that the site will be available without interruption.
5. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, IPC, its directors, officers, contributors, volunteers, and affiliates shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or exemplary damages arising from your use of or reliance on any content on this site, including but not limited to damages for loss of a legal claim, missed deadlines, incorrect legal filings, or any other legal or financial harm.
6. External Links
This site links to external resources including court opinions on CourtListener, allied organizations, and other legal resources. These links are provided for convenience and educational purposes. IPC does not control, endorse, or assume responsibility for the content, policies, or practices of any external sites.
7. User-Generated Content
Comments and community discussions on this site are provided through third-party services (Disqus). User-generated content does not represent the views of IPC. Do not share confidential or privileged information in public comments. Anything you post may be visible to opposing counsel, courts, or the public.
8. Copyright
Original content on section1983.org is © 2026 Institute for Police Conduct, Inc. Legal citations, case holdings, and statutory text are public domain. If you wish to reproduce, adapt, or redistribute original content, contact us.
9. Privacy
This site uses Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site. We do not collect personally identifiable information beyond what analytics and comment services require. We do not sell or share user data.
Comments through Disqus are subject to Disqus's privacy policy.
10. Changes
IPC may update these terms at any time. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. The "last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.
Questions about these terms? Contact us.