Michael Francis Delaney was born on January 22, 1948 in Washington, D.C., the son of Donald James (1919-1999) and Evelyn Anita (Edwards) Delaney (1920-1998). Donald James' Army career serving in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War meant that the family moved frequently while Michael Delaney was growing up. He attended high school in Montgomery, Alabama and graduated from Leavenworth Senior High School in 1965 in Leavenworth, Kansas. He graduated with a bachelors in political science from the University of Kansas in 1969 before serving in the U.S. Army from 1969-1973, including a tour in Vietnam.

Delaney finished law school in 1976, graduating from KU's School of Law with his JD. He thereafter joined the Spencer, Fane, Britt, and Browne LLP law firm and practiced labor law for over 35 years, representing clients in the Overland Park, Johnson County, Kansas area. He was named among the U.S. "Most Powerful Employment Attorneys" from 2010-2012 by HRE (Human Resource Executive) Magazine. He retired in 2019 but continues to serve as a mediator in employment matters and is an adjunct faculty member at the KU School of Law, where he teaches courses focued on labor law, collective bargaining, and dispute resolution.

Delaney was a Democrat Party candidate for the Kansas State Senate in 2012 for District 11. He has served as a board member for the Douglas County Historical Society and Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence, KS, as well as on the board of the Lawrence Preservation Alliance. He has also served on KU Law School's Board of Governors.

In 1986, Michael Delaney married Kathleen "Kathy" L. Gibbons, the daughter of Virgil John (1919-1990) and Betty Jane (Shafter) Gibbons (1923-2006). They have three children: Patrick, Rebecca, and Laura Margaret.

[Information retrieved from press releases, Spencer Fane website, and social media.]