John Asland

John Asland is a Professor in the Department of Private Law at the University of Oslo's Faculty of Law, holding this position since 2012. He served as Head of Department from 2019 to 2022 and maintains a Professor II appointment at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. Asland is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Family Law, Inheritance Law and Child Welfare Law and subject manager for legal content in the Store norske leksikon (Great Norwegian Encyclopedia).

Born in 1976, Asland earned his LLB (Cand. jur.) in 2002 and completed his PhD in 2008 with the thesis 'Unchanged' on inheritance law. Prior to academia, he worked as an associate at law firm BA-HR, served as an acting judge at Borgarting Court of Appeal, and held advisory roles at the Ministry of Justice's Legislation Department.

His research centers on Family Law and Inheritance Law, with significant contributions to Trademark Law. Asland's scholarly work examines Nordic succession law evolution, compulsory shares, testamentary constraints, and gender-neutral reforms. He has authored authoritative legal commentaries in Norsk Lovkommentar and contributed to international publications including the International Survey of Family Law.

Analysis of his 13 publications (2019-2024) reveals consistent focus on Norway's 2022 Inheritance Act implementation, with increasing comparative Nordic analysis. His work bridges theoretical legal scholarship and practical application, particularly in estate planning disputes and spousal protection mechanisms within succession law.

Asland actively serves on the Executive Council of the International Society of Family Law and contributes to the Center for Continuing Legal Education's professional committee. His extensive teaching spans university courses and professional legal training for practicing attorneys.

He participates in two University of Oslo research groups: Market, Innovation and Competition (MIK) and Welfare, rights and discrimination (VERDI), demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of his private law expertise.