Platforms as inequality regimes : Researching legal services

HOWCROFT, Debra and MUMFORD, Clare (2025) Platforms as inequality regimes : Researching legal services. International Labour Review, 164 (3): 18854. ISSN 0020-7780

Abstract

This article examines how inequalities in traditional labour markets shape experiences and outcomes on platform work. The research applies Acker’s framework of inequality regimes, with a focus on gender, to a qualitative case study to analyse freelance platform work, specifically the provision of legal services. Tracking research participants over a period of time, the analysis demonstrates that structural disadvantages within the traditional labour market of the legal profession are not simply echoed but amplified in platform work, challenging claims that platform work can act as a leveller.