COVID-19 has given many people a window through which they can see how easily life can turn for the worse, and how quickly they might end up needing the help of a legal aid lawyer like David Renton. Renton takes the reader on a journey through the civil justice system, the county courts and employment tribunals, where there are no wigs, gowns or juries but where decisions are made, sometimes in a matter of minutes, that can turn a life upside down. There is much to enrage readers as Renton skilfully describes the historical and political context that led us to this point. Through the warmth and compassion of its story-telling, Jobs and homes demonstrates that the law is not just about systems, closures, funding or fees but about helping people solve their problems and being there to support their fight. Jobs and homes is above all a hopeful book. It is a celebration of legal aid lawyers who carry out acts of heroism on a daily basis. These lawyers fight for the underdog because they know this is not a fair fight and that - without them - many people won't find themselves a new job or a new home.

David Renton is a barrister and a historian. His previous books include Struck Out: Why Employment Tribunals Fail Workers and What Can Be Done.