Christopher Behan | SIU

Professor Behan joined the faculty at the SIU School of Law in July of 2006. Prior to that, he was an officer in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps for nearly eleven years. His final assignment was Associate Professor of Criminal Law at the Judge Advocate General's School in Charlottesville, Virginia. During his military career, he also served as a legal assistance attorney, military prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, administrative law attorney, international and operational law attorney, and legal advisor to U.S. forces in the Sinai Desert as part of the Multinational Force and Observers.

Professor Behan served as Acting Dean of the School of Law from September 2017 to July 2018. He also served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from July 2014 to October 2017.

Professor Behan earned an L.L.M. in Military Law (Criminal Law Specialty) from the Judge Advocate General's School in 2003 and was named to the Commandant's List. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, in 1995 from Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School. He was a member of the Order of Barristers, the Director of Interschool Competitions on the Moot Court Board, and a member of the National Moot Court Team. He obtained his B.A., magna cum laude, from Brigham Young University in 1992, majoring in English.

Professor Behan’s research and teaching interests include military justice, evidence, national security law, and trial advocacy pedagogy. In addition to teaching at SIU School of Law, Professor Behan teaches trial advocacy for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, Justice Advocacy Africa, and law firms and government agencies throughout the United States. He has also served as a member of the faculty of the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, teaching advanced evidence courses to state court trial judges.

Professor Behan is married to Valery Christiansen Behan (J. Reuben Clark Law School Class of 1994). They have seven children, three dogs, a cat, and a gecko. Professor Behan’s hobbies include indiscriminate reading, writing, walking with his dogs, losing video games to his children, and taking long road trips with his family.