Professor Tham’s research spans the fields of labour law and public law with a focus on law and democracy and the regulation of precarious work. Joo-Cheong regularly speaks at public forums and has presented lectures at the Commonwealth, South Australian and Victorian Parliaments. He has also written key reports for the New South Wales Electoral Commission on the regulation of political finance and lobbying.

In 2012, Joo-Cheong became the inaugural Director of the Electoral Regulation Research Network.