Leslie Behaunek is an Assistant Professor of Law at Drake University Law School and is Of Counsel at Nyemaster Goode P.C. where she practiced for over a decade prior to joining the law faculty.
Professor Behaunek teaches in the areas of Torts, Conflict of Laws, and Pretrial Advocacy, and she frequently gives presentations on topics related to pretrial litigation skills, civility in the profession, and attorney ethics. Professor Behaunek currently serves as Chair of the Iowa State Bar Association Federal Practice Committee and as Secretary for the Historical Society for the U.S. Courts for the Eighth Circuit – Southern District of Iowa Branch.
Prior to joining Drake, Professor Behaunek was a partner at Nyemaster where she practiced primarily in the areas of business litigation and appeals and chaired the firm’s Appellate Practice Group. During more than a decade in private practice, Professor Behaunek litigated a variety of cases, including finance lease enforcement matters; bankruptcy matters on behalf of creditors and Trustees; class actions; ERISA life, health, and disability benefits cases; ERISA and breach of fiduciary actions; health care and labor and employment claims; and general commercial disputes. Prior to entering private practice, Professor Behaunek clerked for the Honorable James E. Gritzner on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa as well as for the Honorable Jane Kelly on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Professor Behaunek graduated first in her class, with highest honors, Order of the Coif, and Order of the Barristers at Drake University Law School where she was a Dwight D. Opperman Scholar, a Supreme Court Scholar, and Moot Court Board President. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell College, where she graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and with Honors in Politics.
Areas of Expertise
Torts
Pretrial Advocacy
Conflict of Laws
Products Liability
Workers Compensation
Education
JD, Drake University Law School, highest honors, Order of the Coif, Order of the Barristers
BA, Cornell College, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Honors in Politics
Significant Accomplishments
Iowa State Bar Association Outstanding Committee Chair for the 2024-2025 Bar Year, Awardee (2025)
The Best Lawyers in America, Appellate Practice (2026)
Best Lawyers: One to Watch (2021-2025)
Great Plains Super Lawyers, Rising Star (2018-2026)
Des Moines Business Record Forty Under 40, Honoree (2018)
Bar Admissions: Iowa (2012), U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa (2015), U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa (2015), Eighth Circuit (2018), United States Supreme Court (2019), Seventh Circuit (2024)
Pretrial Advice for Litigating Cases in Federal Court, Iowa Lawyer, July 2025 Issue (Co-Author with U.S. Magistrate Judge William Kelly)
Experiential Learning at its Best: The Benefits of Interning for a U.S. Magistrate Judge, Iowa Lawyer, May 2025 Issue (Co-Author with U.S. Magistrate Judge Helen Adams, Professor Erin Lain, and Erin Stender)
Saying more with less: How to write succinctly yet persuasively in legal briefs, Iowa Lawyer, December 2024 / January 2025 Issue (Co-Author with Matthew McGuire)
Navigating Social Media Discovery: What Judges Need to Know About How Lawyers Should Deal with Mass Deletion of Social Media History, Federal Magistrate Judges Association Bulletin, June 2022 Issue (Co-Author with U.S. Magistrate Judge Helen Adams and Philip Favro)
