Joyman Lee's interests focus on a comparison between common law and civil law, both in private law and in the (post-)colonial context.

As a legal scholar, Joyman's training centred on comparative trusts law, with a focus on Japan. He is interested in the ways in which successful non-Western legal systems are often hybrid in nature; that is to say, how a decolonial approach assists us in appreciating the creativity of jurists in non-Western legal systems.

Joyman's interest in the different approaches adopted by common law and civil law systems extends to the (post-)colonial context, particularly French colonial law. In this regard, he is interested in land as a space where non-Western legal ideas maintain or reassert their autonomy in face of the hegemonic presence of state law.

Raised in England, Joyman spent a decade pursuing a career in modern Chinese history in the United States, prior to a career change to law. He taught at the University of Glasgow before moving to UNSW.