The Bulls in Action (BIA) speaker series fosters interdisciplinary discussions spanning the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The latest event took place on April 1 and featured Nicholas “Nick” B. Cox, the current Statewide Prosecutor of Florida, as the honorary alumnus.
State prosecutor, Nicholas B. Cox, accepting a gift after the Bulls in Action presentation. (Photo by Corey Lepak)
The BIA series showcases alumni from the College of Arts and Sciences who have utilized their experiences at USF to achieve success in their respective fields. These alumni deliver presentations about their USF journey and professional achievements to students in courses relevant to their expertise.
Cox delivered his presentation to Dr. Robert Mellen’s American National Government class, part of the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies (SIGS) curriculum. Dr. Scott Solomon, an associate professor and director of SIGS, joined as a moderator to facilitate the discussion.
“With his reappointment in 2023, Nicholas Cox became Florida's longest-serving Statewide Prosecutor. He is responsible for organizing crime cases affecting two or more of Florida's 20 judicial cities. Among his successes, he is helping lead the efforts of fighting all forms of human trafficking, gang violence, homicide cases, and more. He currently oversees eight offices and 70 plus attorneys throughout Florida,” Solomon said.
Before embarking on his successful career, Cox started his journey at USF in 1981 after graduating from an all-boys Jesuit preparatory high school. Upon enrollment, he became a member of a fraternity and, like many college students, had uncertainty about his future career path.
Cox grew up in a blue-collar family, with his father working as a truck driver and his mother as a United States mail carrier. Neither of his parents went to college, so becoming a lawyer wasn’t on his radar. Proud of his upbringing, Cox cherishes the lessons his parents instilled in him. Among these lessons was to always value the importance of education.
In his final two years at USF, Cox started to prioritize his major and future aspirations. Encouraged by a fraternity brother's interest in law, Cox began to explore the field himself. With guidance and opportunities at USF, he ultimately determined that law was the right path for him.
After graduating from USF in 1985 with a degree in political science, Cox started searching for law school programs. He realized that opportunities existed everywhere when he was offered a scholarship from Washburn University, a small school located in Topeka, Kansas.
“My grades were average, so I wasn't getting scholarship offers until I applied to this one school in Kansas. I went out there to visit and the dean of admissions at the school offered me a scholarship. The school was looking for geographical diversity, so because I was from Florida, they wanted me to attend,” Cox explained. “While in law school, I was able to get an internship with a prosecutor in a small county right outside of Topeka. The greatest lesson I learned is that, as lawyers, we are providing a public service, and our goal is to provide justice.”
In his role as a state prosecutor, Cox has achieved significant milestones. At the BIA event, he discussed one of his recent endeavors: prosecuting voter fraud in elections. His responsibilities included identifying illegal voters, such as criminals or convicted felons. Initially considering it a minor case, he was proven wrong by the complexity and scale of the issue.
“When we first took on the case, we were focused on convicted criminals who were voting illegally. It didn’t seem like a hard lift since most of the public didn’t want these people voting either. As we began handing out charges, the entire case exploded. We began hearing about more and more cases we didn’t know about. Our efforts shifted to organizations who were promoting illegal voting, like those who forge people’s names or use the names of deceased individuals to get petitions for amendments,” Cox explained.
Given that the BIA event occurred during a class, Cox discussed various topics the students were learning, offering definitions and sharing his experiences. He explained the differences in grand jury processes across states, using examples such as New York’s reliance on grand juries for charging individuals, contrasting with Florida where state prosecutors hold charging authority. He emphasized the significance of grand juries in representing the people effectively.
“We got the grand jury system from centuries ago, and when this process came to the United States, we slightly changed it. The grand jury is an incredibly powerful tool because they are made up of people like us, citizens. Oftentimes, you will see grand juries used to make decisions or charges that are really tough for the state attorney or statewide prosecutor to make,” Cox said.
During the remainder of the event, students in the class had the chance to participate and inquire about Cox’s career, gain insights into government processes, and receive advice for those aspiring to enter the field of law.
A student in the American National Government class taking notes of the Bulls in Action event. (Photo by Corey Lepak)
A student in the American National Government class, engaged in the conversation of speaker Nicholas B. Cox during the Bulls in Action event. (Photo by Corey Lepak)
“If you’re pursuing a career in law, all you have is your name and your integrity.
Working in the government is all about networking and fostering relationships. While
it’s natural to have differing views, being agreeable is key. As prosecutors, our
focus should always be on the crime and its impact on victims. We must avoid being
swayed by politics, our duty is to uphold justice. This doesn’t just mean punishment,
but ensuring fairness for all parties involved—the state, victims, and defendants.
Consequences for crimes are necessary, but my ultimate goal is to deliver justice,”
Cox said.
Concluding the BIA event, Cox reflected on his remarkable life and career. He acknowledged his high school for instilling principles of integrity but attributes USF for teaching him practical application. As he concluded, he shared his final piece of advice with the class.
“If I could describe my career in one word it would be, ‘Honest.’ I worked very hard to be successful, but above all, I’m just really happy. You’ve all heard my resume, I’ve been able to accomplish some really cool things in my career, but I am happy with my job. I love my family and my wife of 34 years, but just make sure whatever you do makes you happy. Define what happiness means to you, pursue it relentlessly, and don't let anything stop you from achieving it,” Cox said.
In 2023, Cox was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by the USF Alumni Association for his notable contributions to and achievements throughout his career.
To learn more about events such as Bulls in Action, visit Alumni and Friends.