Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady, of Fort Dodge, assumes the top leadership roles of two national judicial organizatons today.

He is now the president of the Conference of Chief Justices.

He is also the chairman of the board of the National Center for State Courts.

Cady will serve a one-year term in each post.

”Chief Justice Cady has earned a national reputation as a leader who is dedicated to fairness, access and transparency in the justice system,” Mary C. McQueen, the president of the National Center for State Courts, said in a written statement.

”His work reflects this commitment,” she added. ”He has promoted public respect and confidence in the justice system by building relationships with the legal community, business groups, community leaders and legislators.”

The Conference of Chief Justices consists of the top judicial officers of all 50 states; Washington, D.C.; and the American territories.

“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 when his leadership role was first announced in March.

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.”