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95 Univ. Colorado L. Rev. F. 1 (2024)

handle is hein.journals/uvsyocd95 and id is 1 raw text is: NO SWORD, NO SHIELD, NO PROBLEM: AI IN PRO SE SECTION 1983 SUITS Michaela Calhoun* Originating during the Reconstruction era, 42 U.S.C. 1983 emerged as a legislative tool to safeguard individuals' constitutional rights and liberties. Initially designed to combat state-sanctioned violence, its efficacy has been eroded over time by subsequent judicial and legislative action. Unfortunately, the current state of Section 1983 falls short of this envisioned role, particularly for incarcerated individuals who find themselves navigating the complexities of the federal court system as pro se litigants. Faced with a landscape devoid of resources, incarcerated individuals struggle to realize their constitutional rights, further perpetuating their collective status as a second-class citizenry-a status imposed by their own government. As this Article will posit, the systemic perception of incarcerated pro se litigants as a low priority within this legal framework underscores the urgent need for change. While other scholarship has advocated for legislative reform of Section 1983, this Article uniquely contends that access to resources alongside a shift in federal jurisprudence is a workable mechanism to recapture the intended purpose and capabilities of Section 1983. Recent and rapid advancements in AI offer a cost- effective, meaningful avenue for incarcerated pro se litigants to access the federal court system and address this need for change. While other scholarship has exhaustively explored this technology's transformative potential in legal practice, this Article *J.D. Candidate, 2024 University of Colorado; M.S.W., University of Denver, 2019; B.S. Psychology, B.S. Criminal Justice, University of Colorado, 2011. I would like to thank my partner Zachary Levi for his constant support, Chris Rowley for his constant encouragement and edits, and the University of Colorado Law Review.