State Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady is president-elect of the Council of Chief Justices, which is the national organization of the chief justices throughout the United States.

Attorney Neven Mulholland is president of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, a group of 250 plaintiff and defense attorneys.

And attorney Jerry Schnurr is vice president of the Iowa Bar Association, an organization with more than 7,500 lawyers.

“The chief justices meet twice a year and we discuss and analyze various ways for us to build our court system and improve our court systems and we are devoted to improving the process of law in our state courts across the nation,” Cady said of his role.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Fort Dodge attorney Jerry Schnuur is among several local lawyers that serve in leadership roles in the legal profession. Schnuur is vice-president of the Iowa Bar Association.

Mark Cady

Cady was born in Rapid City, South Dakota. He earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from Drake University in Des Moines.

Cady came to Fort Dodge in 1979 to work as a law clerk for Judge Albert Habhab. He was appointed a district associate judge in 1983 and a district court judge in 1986. In 1994, he was appointed to the Iowa Court of Appeals. He was elected chief judge of the Court of Appeals in 1997. Cady has served on the Iowa Supreme Court since 1998. He has been chief justice since 2010.

“I like the perspective that a judge has in our legal profession,” Cady said. “It’s an opportunity to serve our state, an opportunity to serve our justice system, and an opportunity to advance justice — which I think is the goal of all government.”

Cady said every single case deserves the full attention of the court system.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Fort Dodge attorney Neven Mulholland is also among several area attorneys that have leadership positions in their profession. Mulholland is president of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers.

“At the same time, justice is not merely the product of a court decision,” he said. “In fact, I believe justice can be extended to far more people by improving the way the process of justice treats people. So, this is where I’ve been working hardest. It involves everything from discovering better ways to deliver legal services to obtaining greater financial support to put those ideas into action. It’s very time-consuming work, but well worth it if achieved.”

Neven Mulholland

Mulholland, a 1971 St. Edmond High School graduate, works to improve the trial practice through his work with the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Mulholland became president of that group in February.

“I have appreciated it and enjoyed it in that many of the attorneys I oppose are members of the Iowa Academy,” Mulholland said. “It gives you the opportunity to get to know these people on a personal basis as well as a professional basis.”

Mulholland returned to Fort Dodge after graduating from Creighton University Law School in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1979.

He began practicing at the Johnson Law Firm, where he continues his profession today.

“I was mentored by Art Johnson, who hired me,” Mulholland said. “He was a terrific trial attorney. Along with Bill Gibb and Tom Bice. I learned a lot from them, relative to the trial practice. He (Bice) and I practiced together for 30 years before he went on the bench. He’s a very accomplished trial attorney. I was able to learn from Art, and Bill and Tom. I was very lucky.”

The law profession has provided Mulholland with a way to help people.

“It’s been a lot of work, but it has been rewarding work, and I have enjoyed working with people,” Mulholland said. “There is a certain sense of satisfaction to it when you are able to help people who have been hurt, whether it be as a result of a bodily injury or have been taken advantage of. Whatever the case may be, there is a certain sense of satisfaction in being able to help people that need to be helped.”

He added, “It’s intense. The trial practice is an adversarial environment. I work with and against a lot of very good attorneys and I have over the years. It’s very challenging, and it’s demanding.”

But he’s complimentary of lawyers across Iowa.

“Iowa trial lawyers are good,” Mulholland said. “They are really good. People would be amazed. I have had cases with attorneys in other states from large metropolitan areas and by and large I have found that Iowa trial lawyers are as good as any attorney that I have ever been involved with. And they are professional for the most part. There is a high degree of professionalism and integrity that I have found in practicing law in this state. As well as civility and collegiality.

He added, “Attorneys in this state for the most part treat each other with respect, whether they are representing the plaintiff or defending. And I have appreciated that.”

Jerry Schnurr

Schnurr, a 1979 Fort Dodge Senior High graduate, helps with continuing education for Iowa lawyers through his work with the Iowa Bar Association.

He will be president-elect in June and president in June of 2020.

“The Bar Association does a lot of things to improve the profession, the practice of law, and the administration of justice,” Schnurr said. “It provides a lot of continuing education for lawyers in the legal profession. There’s seminars, webinars, public education that we do.”

Schnurr said the voluntary organization also works with the judiciary and legislation.

“We work with legislation and are involved in the legislative process to provide information and guidance on bills of interest to the profession and to the public,” he said.

As a child, Schnurr said he was inspired by John Peters, the father of one of his friends, who was an attorney.

“I always liked him and listened to what he said,” Schnurr said. “I had a lot of respect for him and what he did. How he would help people in what he did and guide families.”

Schnurr’s own father had respect for lawyers.

“My dad was an independent businessman and always talked highly about the lawyers who helped his business and the family’s businesses over time,” Schnurr said. “I got to know some of them and how they could help business people and families.”

He added, “I’d always hear stories and got to meet Gene Blackburn with work he did for our family, as well as some other lawyers — John Mitchell and Don Mitchell.”

Schnurr returned to Fort Dodge after graduating from the University of Iowa College of Law in Iowa City in 1986.

He began his practice with Gene Blackburn. He later joined Tito Trevino, Pete Leehey, and Janece Valentine.

Schnurr became a sole practitioner in 1992.

The variety that the profession offers has kept him motivated.

“It’s one of the things about being a lawyer is every day can be different,” Schnurr said recently. “I’ve spent most of today looking over leases and financial information. Tomorrow it might be medical information. The next day it might be some other technical area, but it’s always different. Those are the things that are attractive to me.”