Joanna’s research focuses on the historical development of English law. Her PhD thesis examined the interpretation of private legal documents in the common law courts during the early modern period. She continues to work on early modern law, and is currently investigating the influence of ideas from continental Europe on the English law of this period. Joanna is also undertaking research on the development of English contract law in the nineteenth century and, with Andrew J. Bell, is leading a comparative historical project on legal responses to intractable factual uncertainty. Joanna also writes on modern contract law.