Jim Cada was born and raised on a farm south of Clarkson, Nebraska. He graduated at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a B.S, M.A., and JD degree. After graduation, he worked as a prosecutor and assistant City Attorney for the City of Lincoln, later as an assistant professor at UNL and now as an attorney in his Lincoln office.
Jim has been married to Judy for 54 years. They have two daughters, Sarah, and Carrie, and four grandchildren.
He served in the U.S. Army 68-70, receiving an honorable discharge with the rank of Staff Sargent. He served with Company B, 39th Engineer Battalion attached to Americal Division, south of Chu Lai.
His medals and special service awards include the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal with 2 Overseas Bars, National Defense Service Medal, Marksman M-14, Expert M-16, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Combat Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.
Jim serves on many community boards and foundations. He is currently on the Governor's Veterans Advisory Commission; the Vet Center Advisory Team; Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee; Nebraska Veterans & Family Task Force; the National Veterans Legal Services Program; Lancaster County Veteran's Court Team; NSBA Military Law Section; and the UNL Veteran's Tribute Committee. He has been president of the State Veterans Home Board since 1998. He serves as a chairman of the Lancaster County Service Office Committee, has been Chairman of the Nebraska Veterans Task Force, is a board member of the Nebraska Veterans Council. He is a member of the American Legion, VFW, AmVets, Disabled American Veterans, receiving the Outstanding Disabled Veteran Award, the Vietnam Veterans of America, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart where he served as State Commander for 7 years. Jim has served on the Nebraska Bar Association House of Delegates for 8 years as well as many Bar Association committees and the Bar Foundation. He has served on the board of directors of the Nebraska Association of Trial Lawyers and is a member of the American Association for Justice.
Jim served as President of the Arabian Horse Foundation from 1994 to 2000 and currently manages the Scholarship Fund on that board. He has served as past director and vice president of the International Arabian Horse Association. In addition, Jim has served as president of the United Cerebral Palsy of Nebraska and the Combined Health Agency Drive (CHAD) where he has been a member for over 2 years. He was recently awarded the State Partners in Health Award by the Community Health Charities and the Amigo Del Centro Award by El Centro de las Americas. Jim has also served on the United Way Board as both a member and campaign chairman intermittently for more than 25 years. He has received the Robert M. Spire Pro Bono Award presented by the Nebraska Bar Association, the Distinguished Service Award by the Nebraska Credit Union League, and has earned the highest AV rating by legal peers and judges from Martindale Hubbell.
Jim also has been appointed by the Governor of Nebraska to the Health Coordinating Council, the Nebraska Workforce Investment Board, the Veterans Task Force on the Nebraska Partnership, and chair of the selection committee for the Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Jim is a member of the Better Business Bureau, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, the American Chamber of Commerce, and the American Jamaican Chamber of Commerce. He has been on the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Independence Business Association and served on the Lincoln Charter Revision Committee. He has served on the Pius X Foundation Board of Trustees, the Prairie Hill Learning Center Board of Directors and as chairman of the Board of Education, School Dist. 43. Jim is a past member of the Lincoln Library Foundation Board, the Lincoln Symphony Board, National Standards of Business Education Review Board, St. Elizabeth's Hospital Planned Giving Committee, YMCA Fundraising Captain, Humane Society Fundraising Co-Chair, Lancaster County Event Center Fundraising Committee, and is the secretary of the American Friends of Jamaica Board of Directors.
