The research behind Even Footing

Last updated 22 June 2026

Even Footing grew out of a Master's dissertation on access to justice for self-represented discrimination claimants in the Employment Tribunal. This page explains the research and how it shapes what the platform does.

Levelling the Playing Field

The research examines a stubborn problem: people who bring discrimination claims without a lawyer face a system built around represented parties. It looks at how procedural rules, time limits, and the burden of proof bear hardest on those least equipped to navigate them — and at what support actually helps.

Lost before the merits

A recurring finding is that claims are often lost before anyone weighs the facts — through a missed time limit, a poorly defined claim, or evidence that was never properly put before the tribunal. These are avoidable. Understanding them early is the single biggest difference a self-represented person can make to their own case.

From research to practice

Every guide and tool here is built from that research and grounded in primary sources — the Equality Act 2010, the tribunal rules, and reported decisions. The aim is research that does not sit on a shelf, but reaches the people it is about.