Law license does not make attorney a state actor

Section 1983 of Title 42 of the U.S. Code (the Civil Rights Act of 1866) provides a civil remedy against any person who violates a plaintiff’s federal civil rights while acting “under color of state law.”  A group of church members in Indiana sued another group of church members for violation of such civil rights, but had their complaint dismissed because they couldn’t show that any of the defendants was operating “under color of state law.”