Hans Petter Graver received the degree of cand. jur in 1980, and was awarded a Doctor of Laws (dr. juris) in 1986 – both degrees from the University of Oslo. In 1993 he was appointed Professor in Sociology of law with an obligation to teach administrative law.

For the past 15 years his research has centred around the role of courts and judges in situations where the rule of law breaks down. He led the research project Judges under Stress – the Breaking Point of Judicial Institutions and has advised the court administrations of Norway, Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He has authored numerous books and articles over a wide field of subjects, including administrative law, competition law, fundamental rights, sociology of law, legal history, legal theory, argumentation and rhetoric. His most recent book is Democracy and Lawlessness the Penitentiary Laws and Civil Disobedience in Norway 1928-1931, Springer 2024. His book Valiant Judges, Iniquitous Law Thirteen Stories of Heroes of the Law has been translated into Slovak, Ukrainian, and Georgian.

Graver was president of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters 2019-2021. He was awarded an honorary doctorate at the University of Helsinki in 2010, at the University of Heidelberg in 2017 at the University of Uppsala in 2020 and at the University of Bergen 2022. He is an honorary member of the Law Society of Finland and member of the Academia Europaea (2022).