Mark Steven Cady (July 12, 1953 – November 15, 2019) was an American jurist. He served on the Iowa Supreme Court for 21 years from 1998 to 2019. From 2011 to 2019, he was the chief justice of the court. He was the author of the court's opinion in '' Varnum v. Brien'', which legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa.

Early life and career

Mark Steven Cady was born on July 12, 1953, in

Rapid City, South Dakota Rapid City ( lkt, link=no, Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western So ...

. His parents were Kenneth and Suzanne Cady. He graduated from Austin High School in

Austin, Minnesota Austin is a city in, and the county seat of, Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,174 at the 2020 census. The town was originally settled along the Cedar River and has two artificial lakes, East Side Lake and Mill Po ...

, in 1971. He graduated from

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, law, and pharmacy. Drake's law school is among the 25 oldest in the United States. His ...

in 1975 with a degree in economics. In 1978, he earned his law degree from Drake and was elected to the

Order of the Coif The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. The name is a reference to the ancient English order of advocates, the serjeants-at-law, whose courtroom attire included a coif—a white lawn or silk skullcap, whi ...

Judicial career

Cady began his legal career in

Fort Dodge, Iowa Fort Dodge is a city in, and the county seat of, Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 24,871 in the 2020 census, a decrease from 25,136 in 2000. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Cen ...

, where he practiced law for five years, including one year as a law clerk and one year as an assistant Webster County attorney. In 1983, Cady was appointed as an Iowa District Associate Judge, and in 1986, he was appointed to be an Iowa District Judge. In 1994, Governor

Terry Branstad Terry Edward Branstad (born November 17, 1946) is an American politician and former diplomat. A member of the Republican Party, he served three terms in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979 before serving as governor of Iowa f ...

appointed him to the Iowa Court of Appeals. In 1997, Cady became the youngest chief judge in the history of the Court of Appeals. Four years later, Branstad elevated Cady to the Iowa Supreme Court. In 2010, Cady was made interim chief justice, and in 2011, he was elected to a full term as chief justice Cady was retained in the 2017 retention elections. On the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, Cady continued to live in Fort Dodge. As a justice, he wrote the opinion in '' Varnum v. Brien'', a unanimous decision in 2009 that made Iowa the third state to permit same-sex marriage. In 2018, he wrote the 5–2 majority opinion in ''Planned Parenthood v Reynolds'' that struck down a 72-hour waiting period for an abortion. Cady also established the Iowa Access to Justice Commission, served as president of the national Conference of Chief Justices, and chaired the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts. Cady also taught at

Buena Vista University Buena Vista University is a private university in Storm Lake, Iowa. Founded in 1891 as Buena Vista College, it is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. The university's campus is situated on the shores of Storm Lake, a natural lake. At i ...

from 1980 until his death.

Other activities

He served as the chairman of the National Center for State Courts Board of Directors. He was also the president of the Conference of Chief Justices. He was an adjunct faculty member at

Personal life

Cady was married to Rebecca Cady on May 22, 1982, in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, and the couple had two children. He died unexpectedly on November 15, 2019, after suffering a heart attack while walking his dog. He was 66 years old. Drake University and the Iowa State Bar Association created the Cady Day of Public Service in his memory. Drake University also created a Cady Law Opportunity Fellow Program for law students from underrepresented backgrounds.

References

External links

Iowa Judicial Branch page for Mark S. CadyBallotpedia ProfileVotesmart Profile
* 1953 births 2019 deaths 20th-century American judges 21st-century American judges Chief Justices of the Iowa Supreme Court Drake University alumni Iowa Independents Justices of the Iowa Supreme Court Politicians from Rapid City, South Dakota Drake University Law School alumni {{Iowa-stub