The department's legal scholars contribute their expertise to the department’s research and public engagement through extensive publishing and dissemination activities, and they teach across all levels – bachelor’s, PhD, and continuing education programs.
One of the department’s key initiatives is a dedicated legal education program for professionals working in child welfare services. The legal scholars are also in demand as lecturers and supervisors outside OsloMet, and they actively participate in public debates within their fields.
In recent years, law subjects have been significantly strengthened across all study programs at the department. This is part of a broader ambition to reinforce the connection between social work/child welfare and legal knowledge. The development is both politically driven – supported by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Children and Families / The Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir) – and internally driven by the department’s own legal scholars, aiming to enhance legal competence within welfare services, particularly in child protection.
The department has worked actively for several years to recruit highly qualified legal professionals in these areas. Today, it is considered a national leader in welfare law among higher education institutions that educate professionals for the welfare sector.
The legal scholars at the Department of Social Work, Child Welfare and Social Policy are part of a multidisciplinary academic community that includes child welfare educators, social workers, sociologists, philosophers, political scientists, and psychologists. In both teaching and research, the intersection between law, social sciences, and psychology helps break down traditional disciplinary boundaries and contributes to expanding and enriching each field’s perspective.
Members
Julia Köhler-Olsen
Julia Köhler-Olsen is Professor of Law. She has a PhD in Law and Master in Law from The University of Oslo. Her PhD is written in Norwegian Language. The translated title is "Children's right to self-determination in regard to religious norms".
Köhler-Olsen's research regards:
- The implementation of economic and social human rights in social policy
- Children's human rights and status as rights holder in the Norwegian legal system
- Non-discrimination law and the principle of substantive equality, 4) Digital public services and the rule of law.
Elisabeth Gording Stang
Professor Elisabeth Gording Stang holds a Cand.jur and a Doctor Juris degree from the Department of Public and International Law at the University of Oslo.
She conducts research, teaches, supervises students, and engages in public dissemination within the fields of child law and child welfare, administrative law, immigration law, and human rights.
Anniken Sørlie
Anniken Sørlie is an Associate Professor of Law, holding a PhD in Law from the Faculty of Law at the University of Oslo.
Her research focuses particularly on the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals in Norway, with a special emphasis on the rights of transgender people. She is especially concerned with how legal frameworks function for individuals in vulnerable life situations.
Her work includes topics such as the right to privacy, protection against discrimination, and the right to health. She also explores legal issues related to compensation for victims of extreme events and other welfare benefits.
Helena Bärlund
Helena Bärlund is an Associate Professor of Law. She holds both a Master’s and a Doctoral degree in Law from the University of Helsinki, and has been awarded the title vicehäradshövding by the Kouvola Court of Appeal in Finland.
Her research interests include anti-discrimination law, EEA law, and human rights. In recent years, her academic publications have focused on ethnic discrimination and the national implementation of EU directives aimed at ensuring accessibility to ICT solutions, goods, and services for persons with disabilities. She is currently conducting research on the enforcement of children’s protection against discrimination and the human rights of persons with disabilities.
Jakob Mykland Revheim
Jakob Mykland Revheim holds a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Bergen and is employed as an Assistant Professor.
Mons Oppedal
Mons Oppedal is Professor Emeritus of Law, holding both a Cand.jur and a Doctor Juris degree. He is particularly known for his work in child law and social legislation, and has been a prominent voice in debates concerning the legal protection of children within the child welfare system and the justice system.
