Welcome
Experienced North Carolina Attorney & Civic Leader
Compassionate legal counsel & public servant
ABOUT JACK NICHOLS ATTORNEY
Legal Expertise and Leadership
Jack Nichols is a highly respected North Carolina attorney and civic leader with almost five decades of experience in law, government, and community service. Licensed to practice law since 1977, he has built a distinguished legal career focused on administrative law, civil litigation, and representing nonprofits, while also serving as legal counsel to state agencies and numerous licensing boards.
He has tried over 100 hearings in the Office of Administrative Hearings, including one of the first cases filed in 1987. He has litigated administrative cases including unjust dismissal, sexual harassment, EEOC claims, retaliation and whistleblower cases on behalf of both public and private employees and employers.
His civil litigation practice has largely consisted of employment cases and business litigation, including numerous Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practice and Wage and Hour cases.
Nichols has served as General Counsel for ten licensing boards, including N.C. Board of Nursing, N.C. Social Work Certification & Licensure Board, N.C. Board of Funeral Services, N.C. State Board of Architecture, N.C. Board of Opticians, and N.C. Board of Chiropractic Examiners. He presently serves as General Counsel to the N.C. Board for Barber and Electrolysis Examiners.
Jack has also represented clients before the N.C. Utilities Commission; N.C. Banking Commission, N.C. Industrial Commission and the following Occupational Licensing Boards: N.C. Auctioneers Licensing Board; N.C. Dental Board; N.C. Real Estate Licensing Commission; N.C. Board of Pharmacy; N.C. Board of Psychology; N.C. Board of Licensed Professional Counselors; N.C. Board of Massage and Bodywork; N.C. Board of Occupational Therapy; N.C. Board of Examiners for Engineers & Land Surveyors; N.C. Board of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors.
He is counsel of record in over 50 appellate cases. He has previously taught Administrative Law and Constitutional Law at UNC and presently teaches N.C. Administrative Law at Campbell Law School and High Point School of Law.
Jack's Public Servant Experience
Beyond the courtroom, Jack has devoted much of his life to public service.
In 1985, Lt. Governor Robert Jordan appointed Jack to the newly created Rules Review Commission where he also served as the first Vice-Chair of that body.
In 1990, Jack was elected as a Wake County Commissioner and served from 1990 to 1994. He served as Vice Chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, where he advanced initiatives in education, public safety, and economic development. He is credited with increasing teacher salary supplements for Wake teachers. Chair Vernon Malone appointed him Chair of the Public Safety Committee and he helped Sheriff Baker improve and expand the Sheriff’s Department, including the construction of the new jail. He also supported improvement of the existing courthouse and approving the construction of the new Justice Center. He convinced the Board to appropriate additional funding for EMS vehicles to have paramedics on them, which saved hundreds of lives. He led the effort to extend water & sewer to the Wake County side of RTP which recruited industries such as Cisco Systems and other businesses to the RTP.
In 2006, Governor Easley appointed Jack to the State Health Coordinating Council, where he advocated for a policy of selecting health care facilities to receive Certificates of Need if they served medically underserved areas of the State.
In 2022, he was appointed as a Wake House member in the N.C. General Assembly to complete the term of Rep. Grier Martin.
His leadership has also extended to the nonprofit sector. Jack has also been a leader in the civic and nonprofit community. He has served on numerous nonprofit Boards, including the Wake Med Hospital Board of Directors, the Women’s Center, and the Wake Education Partnership. He has also started several nonprofits.
- He was the co-founder of Planned Parenthood of Raleigh in 1988, which grew to become Planned Parenthood of the South Atlantic.
- While Wake Commissioner, he started Wake County Smart Start in 1993 and it continues to provide child day care services to children, parents, and day care centers. He now serves as their Legal Counsel
He remains active as a Boy Scout. He is a Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow. As an adult, he served as Scoutmaster, Occoneechee Council President and later as Occoneechee Council Commissioner. He is only the second person in the Council to have served in both volunteer leadership positions.
With this unique blend of legal expertise and public service, Jack Nichols has established himself as a trusted advocate committed to strengthening North Carolina’s communities and institutions.