Our aim is to develop and produce engaged and impactful research that contributes to advancing social justice in our communities, locally, nationally and internationally. We are particularly interested in participatory and critical approaches that can generate knowledge alongside communities and in exploring how research can support community-led efforts. We aim to support and promote collaboration between academics, legal practitioners and activists. We welcome enquiries about possible future collaborative projects.

Current Projects

Understanding Local Legal Needs: Early Intervention and the Ecosystem of Legal Support

This research contributes fresh evidence to inform early intervention and public legal education strategies to support access to justice for marginalised communities.

Written by Dr Tara Mulqueen, University of Warwick and Dr Lisa Wintersteiger, AdviceNow

Funded by the Nuffield Foundation

March 2025

This report presents the findings of a local, qualitative legal needs study in Coventry - a collaborative project between the University of Warwick School of Law, Central England Law Centre and Advicenow. It focuses on the experiences of marginalised groups and the role of community organisations (trusted intermediaries) in supporting them to access civil and social justice. It explores legal needs emerging from March 2020 to the present, capturing experiences as the country has moved from one crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, to another, the ‘cost-of-living’ crisis.

The study demonstrates how engaging a wider ecosystem of legal support (trusted intermediaries collaborating with specialist legal and advice services) to help people recognise and deal with problems earlier is crucial to addressing unmet legal need and to tackling law-related problems before they escalate and multiply.

Download the report

Full Report

Executive Summary

If you need help with a legal problem or you are trying to support someone else, Advicenow is a good place to find accessible information and guidance on a wide range of topics. If you are working in a community setting, you can see upcoming training opportunities here.

If you are based in Birmingham or Coventry and need help, contact the Central England Law CentreLink opens in a new window. If you live elsewhere in the UK, you can find a local law centre here.