Dr Jessie Pool is Associate Professor of Insolvency Law at the Institute for Private Law (Department of Corporate Law) at Leiden University. Her expertise lies at the intersection of insolvency and corporate law, with a focus on socially relevant issues such as sustainability in insolvency proceedings, decision-making, and stakeholder dynamics in financial distress. Jessie’s research is practice-oriented, interdisciplinary, and empirical in nature, contributing not only to academic knowledge but also directly to legal practice. 

More information about Jessie Pool

Dr. Jessie Pool is Associate Professor of Insolvency Law at the Institute for Private Law (Department of Corporate Law) at Leiden University. Her expertise lies at the intersection of insolvency and corporate law, with a focus on socially relevant issues such as sustainability in insolvency proceedings, decision-making, and stakeholder dynamics in financial distress. Jessie’s research is practice-oriented, interdisciplinary, and empirical in nature, contributing not only to academic knowledge but also directly to legal practice. 

Jessie works closely with practitioners, including trustees, judges, and policymakers. Her research has had a direct impact on legislative processes and internal guidelines within the professional field. She spent six months working with the WHOA pool and the insolvency division of the Midden-Nederland District Court, and her work is frequently consulted by the Ministry of Justice and Security. She is also actively involved in academic and practice-oriented networks such as INSOL Europe, INSOL International, and the Dutch Restructuring Association. Since 2023, she has been a Fellow of INSOLAD, the association of Dutch insolvency lawyers. Additionally, since 2021, she has participated in the NextGen Leadership Program of the International Insolvency Institute. 

Jessie is a co-leader of the Leiden spearhead project on Empirical Legal Studies and a past president of the European Society for Empirical Legal Studies (ESELS). She is committed to advancing empirical legal research at both national and international levels and fostering knowledge exchange. She serves on the editorial board of the European Journal for Empirical Legal Studies (EJELS) and is a frequent keynote speaker and moderator at national and international conferences. 

Research

Jessie’s research focuses on decision-making and balancing interests within and prior to insolvency proceedings, examining the roles of directors, supervisory board members, trustees, creditors, and judges. She places particular emphasis on socially relevant issues such as the role of sustainability in (international) insolvency procedures and how different stakeholders interact within these contexts. Jessie approaches these challenges empirically, ensuring her work provides valuable insights for legal practice and contributes to the effectiveness of legal frameworks. 

Her research is interdisciplinary and innovative within her field. In 2022, it was recognized with the Meijers Prize for the best publication in the Coherent Private Law research program, as well as the Van Wersch Springplank Award for talented and active young researchers in legal scholarship. She has also secured third-party funding to support additional studies. 

Jessie frequently presents her research at (international) conferences, professional organizations such as INSOLAD (the association of Dutch insolvency lawyers) and Recofa (the national consultation body for supervisory judges in bankruptcies and suspensions of payment), and government institutions such as the Ministry of Justice and Security. 

Teaching

Jessie teaches both bachelor’s and master’s courses in corporate and insolvency law and provides methodology and skills training for master’s students in the corporate law masters program. She served as Associate Director of Education for the Law program (±4,500 students) from 2022 to 2025 and as Program Coordinator for the Master’s in Corporate Law from 2019 to 2024. She currently coordinates the Master’s program in Financial Law. 

Jessie is deeply committed to educational innovation. In 2019, in collaboration with Yorick van Benten, she developed the Legal Business Game for the Corporate Law Master’s program. This simulation allows students to actively engage with corporate law in a practical context. The Legal Business Game was a runner-up for the 2020 Gouden Zandloper Award for Innovative Legal Education. Since 2022, she has received funding to participate in the innovation project Flipped Classroom for the course Advanced Corporate Law in the Master of Laws program, introducing new teaching methods that better align with the needs of both students and faculty. In 2025, she obtained the Senior Teaching Qualification  in recognition of her teaching achievements. 

In addition to her contributions to bachelor’s and master’s programs, Jessie provides post-academic training in corporate and insolvency law and Empirical Legal Studies. She teaches courses at the Leiden PhD Academy, the Kurt Lewin Institute, and the Dutch ELS Academy.