About LEGAL ONE

Mr. Nash currently serves as Director of Legal Education and National Outreach for the Foundation for Educational Administration. His responsibilities include coordinating the efforts of FEA to promote its wide array of professional learning courses, events, programs and services nationally. Mr. Nash is also responsible for overseeing legal education through the LEGAL ONE (Law, Ethics, Governance for All Leaders, including an Overview of New and Emerging issues) program. LEGAL ONE is an innovative program that provides school law professional development for school leaders and other educators. From 2003 to 2011, Mr. Nash served as legal counsel for the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association. In that role, Mr. Nash provided legal assistance to NJPSA members for legal issues arising out of the performance of their duties. Mr. Nash also served as Assistant Director of Government Relations for NJPSA from 1994 to 2003. He currently teaches graduate level school law courses at Ramapo College and has previously taught at Rutgers University and New Jersey City University. Mr. Nash received his B.A. from Rutgers University and graduated with High Honors from Rutgers Law School in 2003. While at Rutgers Law School he served as an editor for the Rutgers Law Review. His prior civic involvement includes six years’ service as a member of the Old Bridge Board of Education, including two years as board president, and service on the Board of Trustees for both Healing the Children New Jersey and Advocates for Children of New Jersey.

He is a contributing author to the book Student Discipline: A Prosocial Perspective, 2016, Rowman & Littlefield; and a contributing author to the book School Nursing: The Essential Text, Springer Publishers, 2021.

Ms. Jacques is the Assistant Director of Legal Education for NJPSA/FEA. She provides School Law Training to school leaders, educators, parents and other education stakeholders through the LEGAL ONE program. Ms. Jacques practiced law in the Federal and State Courts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where she represented school districts in civil litigation matters, including civil rights, discrimination, and negligence claims. She simultaneously earned a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and a Bachelor of Art in Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She holds a Juris Doctor from Widener University School of Law, and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Trial Advocacy from Temple University Law School.
As an Adjunct Professor, she teaches the School Law Course in the Masters in Educational Leadership (M.Ed.) Program for New Jersey City University. Ms. Jacques is also an NJ EXCEL Instructor, a frequent guest speaker for the NJ Leaders to Leaders Program, and has given School Law Presentations at National and State Conferences, including the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP); NJ Association of School Attorneys (NJSBA); and for numerous New Jersey Education Organizations. She currently serves as a Board Member for Arts Ed NJ - https://artsednj.org/

John Worthington is Coordinator of Special Education Law for LEGAL ONE at NJPSA/FEA. John recently retired as Director of the Office of Special Education Policy and Procedure in the New Jersey Department of Education, where he was responsible, under federal statute and regulations, to operate a system of general supervision and monitor the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 in New Jersey. As director of OSEPP, John oversaw the operation of multiple systems, including:
Monitoring; Dispute Resolution; Complaint Investigation; Distribution and oversight of the IDEA Part B Grant; Oversight of Approved Private Schools for Students with Disabilities; Development of Policy, Guidance, and Administrative Code; and Special Education Data collection and analysis.

In addition to serving as Legal Counsel for NJPSA, John Farinella leads workshops and presentations on school law for LEGAL ONE as Coordinator of Legal Education. Mr. Farinella is a lifelong resident of South Plainfield, New Jersey. After graduating from South Plainfield High School, he attended Penn State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. His postgraduate studies led him to a Master of Arts degree in Education Administration and Supervision from Saint Peter’s College and a Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall University School of Law. Mr. Farinella’s work experience in public education includes more than 25 years in the New Jersey public schools, serving as a teacher of mathematics, vice principal, and, principal of Rahway High School. Mr. Farinella is also a member of the New Jersey Bar, the New York Bar, and the United States District Court of New Jersey Bar. In addition, Mr. Farinella was named the 2017 NJPSA Visionary Principal of the Year, Secondary Level.