Justice Mark McCormick.
The Iowa Judicial Branch is saddened to report that former Justice Mark McCormick passed away Sunday, March 30, 2025. He served on the Iowa Supreme Court from April 12, 1972, until he returned to private practice January 31, 1986.
Born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, April 13, 1933, Justice McCormick graduated from Villanova University in 1955. Following service in the United States Navy (1955 to 1958) he graduated from the Georgetown University Law school in 1960. He worked one year as a law clerk for Chief Judge Harvey Johnsen at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit before returning to Fort Dodge where he engaged in private practice from 1961 to 1968. During this period, he also was an Assistant County Attorney of Webster County from 1963 to 1966. In 1968 he was appointed Judge of the Iowa District Court and continued to serve in this capacity until joining the Iowa Supreme Court.
An interview of Justice McCormick is on the Judicial Branch website at : https://www.iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/educational-resources-and-services/iowa-courts-history/oral-interviews-with-past-judges/honorable-mark-mccormick
Statements from the Supreme Court Regarding the Death of Justice Mark McCormick
This photograph captures a quiet moment between Justice Mark McCormick and my late father, Justice Jerry Larson, during Dad's 80th birthday celebration. It reflects the deep personal and professional bond they shared as colleagues on the Iowa Supreme Court and as friends beyond the bench. I first came to know Justice McCormick as a young woman during dinners with my Dad and his fellow justices—memories I deeply cherish. His keen intellect, steady wisdom, and generous spirit left a lasting impression on all who had the privilege of knowing him. Today, I have the honor of serving on the same court where both he and Dad devoted their lives to justice—an experience made more meaningful because of their example. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his beloved wife, Vicky, and their family. May they find comfort in knowing the enduring impact of his life and legacy.
Chief Justice Susan Larson Christensen
Mark McCormick's passing is a great loss to our State and profession. Mark was a wonderful role model for judges and lawyers, and I value his mentorship. He enriched Iowa jurisprudence with his opinions and was a phenomenal practitioner after stepping down from the Iowa Supreme Court.
His Supreme Court decisions exemplify the a, b, c’s of opinion writing—accuracy, brevity and clarity. And as a young lawyer I admired and sought to emulate Mark’s zealous, effective advocacy for clients and his consummate professionalism. I second-chaired my father in two multi-week jury trials representing Aetna against Mark’s client Central Life over the Court Avenue Spaghetti Works fire and argued against him in his first trip back to the podium before his former colleagues at our state’s high court. Years later, as counsel for amici, I had a second-row seat at the U.S. Supreme Court watching Mark’s oral argument for Prairie Meadows against AG Miller for the State of Iowa in the $100 million tax appeal, RACI. Mark ultimately won that appeal on remand and set precedent for our state Supreme Court’s independent adjudication under the Iowa Constitution. I also teamed up with Mark in other appeals and learned much litigating with and against him. I treasure those experiences and Mark’s letters supporting my applications to fill a vacancy on our state’s high court. His legacy lives on through his impact on Iowa’s caselaw and the many lives he influenced.
Justice Thomas Waterman
I am deeply saddened by Mark’s passing. I never looked it up before, but I was surprised he only served on our court for 14 years. Given his influence, I would have thought much longer. Think of a legal issue, and there is a Mark McCormick opinion that got to the heart of the matter. I can’t remember ever disagreeing with anything he wrote.
But Mark really lives on for me as a colleague in the practice of law. Mark was so smart. While the rest of us in the firm had to think out loud, and muddle our way to a legal recommendation for the client, for Mark practicing law was just a matter of instincts and intellect. His services were a terrific bargain for the client because he could do things so quickly and so well. No “trial and error” for him; just a brief and successful trial without error.
Most of all, I remember Mark for his humanity and decency. He ran for political office not because he wanted to, but because he believed (rightly) that his services were needed. He went jogging every day into his 80s not simply for exercise but because the outside world was so nice it would be a shame to miss it. He and Vicky opened their home for countless dinners and events.
One small vignette… About 20 years ago, I was part of a group helping Mark prep in Washington DC for the US Supreme Court argument in RACI v. Fitzgerald. We had a large moot court scheduled at the offices of a K Street law firm. Mark showed up right on time because, of course, the argument was the next day and he had been preparing in his hotel room. I asked Mark if he had taken a cab and he answered, no, he had taken the subway. After all, why take a cab and cost your client more money when everything is under control, which with Mark it always was.
Justice Edward Mansfield
Among many great strokes of luck in my life was having an office next door to Mark McCormick’s at the Belin McCormick firm for about fifteen years. Mark’s knowledge of the law was encyclopedic and, amazingly, it all was seemingly subject to immediate recall. One might suggest that Mark forgot more law than most lawyers will ever learn, but I’m not sure Mark actually ever forgot any law.
If there was ever a legal question I wasn’t quite sure about, having Mark next door to confirm my understanding or approach (or, sometimes, to redirect me toward another) offered the ultimate in security blankets. This wasn’t just any second opinion; it was Mark McCormick’s experienced and enlightened legal judgment. He was unfailingly generous with his time in answering questions and talking through issues.
Over the years, Mark and I worked on many cases together, including several trials. He never micromanaged. He never acted like he knew better. Even when I was a young lawyer, he never made me feel like anything less than an equal. Mark was routinely sought out to handle complicated, high-stakes cases. But if he ever felt stressed, he never showed it, and he certainly never cast that stress on the people he worked with. His default demeanor was gracious and calm.
Mark was an extraordinary writer, both in private practice and on the bench. I often marvel when reading an opinion by “McCormick, J.” at his ability to write so powerfully and so completely yet so concisely. He proved in scores of judicial opinions that a judge need not be long on pages to be long on persuasive force. Through his judicial opinions, his service to the people of Iowa will continue to reverberate in our law for decades to come.
Mark was a serious runner and, for many years, a competitive marathoner. When I started showing interest in marathon running, Mark was generous with his knowledge and advice to me. He showed me the notebooks that he’d kept for years to log his training runs. The character traits that he tried to instill in me—planning, hard work, consistency—were for him keys not only to successful running but to successful living.
Mark revered Abraham Lincoln. He studied Lincoln’s achievements as a transformational president, but he also took great interest in Lincoln’s career as a frontier lawyer practicing law. Mark recounted that Lincoln, as he was leaving Springfield to assume the role of president, told his law partner Billy Herndon to leave the “Lincoln & Herndon” sign hanging undisturbed. “If I live, I’m coming back sometime, and then we’ll go right on practicing law as if nothing had ever happened.” Mark took great satisfaction in helping clients solve their legal problems—so much so that he kept practicing law for 35 years after retiring from the supreme court. It meant something to Mark that Lincoln, perhaps our greatest president, so understood the indispensable role that lawyers play in the lives of their clients and in maintaining a just society, that Lincoln sought to return to practicing law when his presidency ended.
Mark was to me a Lincoln-like figure, possessing many of the same qualities as his hero, among them intelligence, humility, compassion, perseverance, and a strong sense of justice. But of Mark’s innumerable virtues, it is his generosity as a friend and mentor that I will miss most, and that I will carry with me.
Justice Matthew McDermott
I was sad to hear of former Justice Mark McCormick’s death. He was an outstanding Justice and lawyer. As a lawyer his arguments before our Court were, like his Court opinions, cogent and convincing. And I, like the rest of the Court, always looked forward to those arguments. He was the 5th Judicial District’s liaison Justice when I was the district’s chief judge. As a chief judge, I always appreciated his thoughtful advice and guidance.
Chief Justice Louis A. Lavorato (retired), Iowa Supreme Court (1986-2006)
Justice McCormick retired before I was appointed to the Court, so I did not have the opportunity to serve with him. I always admired his opinions. He always strived for justice and fairness in his decisions. He believed that no matter what social station or personal background a person had, everyone was entitled to equal treatment under the law. My thoughts go out to his family who I am sure miss him greatly.
Justice David Wiggins (retired), Iowa Supreme Court (2003-2020)
Mark McCormick was a consummate citizen, lawyer, judge, and friend. He was smart, proactive, and inquisitive. He sought to make the law and our society fairer and more inclusive. He combined high intellect with pragmatic instincts. After his judicial service, he was an outstanding lawyer and a leading citizen. He put himself on the line by entering the political arena, thereby enhancing the quality of public discourse. While he will be sorely missed, we celebrate his life. Mark was, and is, a model for us all, in the law and in life. Our thoughts are with Mark’s loved ones at this time of grief and remembrance.
Justice Brent Appel (retired), Iowa Supreme Court (2006-2022)