Mike Halligan was raised in Billings, Montana. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam as an infantry combat platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division.

In 1975, Mr. Halligan completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Political Science at the University of Montana. He received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration in 1977, and graduated from the University of Montana School of Law in 1984.