Faculty & Staff Directory

Summary

Rick Mullaney is the Founding Director of the Public Policy Institute at Jacksonville University. In addition to giving strategic direction and vision to the Institute, regularly appearing on local media for policy commentary, and hosting the Policy Matters radio show, Mr. Mullaney teaches PPOL 513: Law and Public Policy, a core requirement for Master in Public Policy students. He is a graduate of the University of Florida with a B.A. in Political Science and law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Courses

• PPOL 513. Law And Public Policy

Media Commentary

• Analyzing the First Presidential Debate
• President Trump Nominates Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court
• The Battleground State of Florida
• Additional commentary

Biography

Rick Mullaney is the Executive Director of the Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute (Institute) and the Robert T. Shircliff Chair in Public Policy at Jacksonville University. He is an educator, lawyer, senior executive, and television political analyst who has worked for more than 40 years in law, government, public policy, politics, and higher education.  

In 2012, Mullaney joined Jacksonville University and played a leading role in establishing the Institute and the first Master in Public Policy degree program in the history of Florida. In addition, he teaches a course on Law and Public Policy and is a political analyst for WJXT Channel 4 and WOKV 104.5. He appears over 100 times a year on local, national, and international television, including commentary on WJXT, NBC, MSNBC, Live Now from FOX, CSPAN, and CNA Asia. 

Prior to joining Jacksonville University, Mullaney practiced law, was actively involved in public policy initiatives, and lectured nationally. For nearly 20 years, he served as legal counsel and advisor to Jacksonville’s consolidated government and Mayors Ed Austin, John Delaney, and John Peyton. During this time, he served for 13 years as the City’s longest serving General Counsel. He received the Lawyer of the Year Award, Good Government Award, and was honored by the City Council as one of Jacksonville’s most effective General Counsels.  He previously served as Chief of Staff to Mayor Delaney and Head of the General Counsel’s Office Tort Litigation Department.  

Before joining the City, Mullaney was a prosecutor, part of State Attorney Ed Austin’s senior leadership team, and received the Florida Prosecutor of the Year Award. Mullaney began his career as a business lawyer with Carlton, Fields, then the largest law firm in Florida. 

During his more than 40-year career, he has been involved in numerous public policy initiatives and political campaigns, taught graduate courses at the University of North Florida and JU, and lectured on legal, government, public policy, political, and other topics in more than 20 states.

Mullaney received a BA in Political Science from the University of Florida, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and first in the College of Arts and Sciences. He also graduated from law school at the University of Florida, serving as Executive Editor of the Law Review. 

Mullaney has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including serving as Chair of the Saint Vincent’s Foundation and Chair of Gateway Community Services. He is a member of Leadership Jacksonville and Leadership Florida.  He and his wife Lynn have been married for 36 years and have three children – Taylor, Richie, and Katie.