The justices and judges of the Iowa Supreme Court and Iowa Court of Appeals will participate in the Mark S. Cady Day of Public Service today. The Cady Day of Service is dedicated to the late Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady with the intent to bring the Iowa legal community together to honor and to celebrate the life and legacy of Justice Cady and his commitment to public service, access to justice, and civil rights.
Chief Justice Cady dedicated his legal career to public service. He was a county attorney and served as a judge for 15 years before he was appointed to the supreme court in 1998. The members of the court selected him as chief justice in 2011, a position he held until his sudden passing on November 15, 2019. Chief Justice Cady earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from Drake University. Drake University Law School is sponsoring the Cady Day of Service event. Service activities range from attorneys volunteering for a pro bono case through a Volunteer Lawyers Project to participating in a Habitat for Humanity home repair event.
Chief Justice Cady met regularly with high school students throughout the state and annually visited the Drake University Law School and the University of Iowa College of Law. While visiting one school, a student asked what guided him to success. Chief Justice Cady replied, “Success is not a single crowning achievement, but an accumulation of those small steps in life that define each of us as a person. Success will be found by those who enjoy what they do and feel they are serving others in what they do. This approach provides the inspiration and purpose to do more, in better ways.”
In the spirit of “serving others in what they do,” the justices and judges will donate blood, pick up trash along local bike trails, host food drives, and participate in other volunteer community events.
For more information on the Cady Day of Service, go to https://www.drake.edu/law/alumni/events/markscadydayofpublicservice/
For information on Chief Justice Cady’s career of public service, go to https://www.iowacourts.gov/announcements/iowa-judicial-branch-mourns-the-passing-of-chief-justice-cady