Carmody was born January 6, 1854, in Granville, Wisconsin (which is today part of Milwaukee).

After high school, he worked as a teacher for several years before studying law in a Waseca attorney's office.

[1] In March 1880, Carmody was admitted to the Minnesota Bar after several years of legal studies.

He practiced as a lawyer in Waseca until August 1885, when he moved to the community of Hillsboro in the Dakota Territory.

[1] After leaving the bench, Carmody served as assistant attorney general for a number of years, a member of the state's Board of Control for two years, and assistant United States attorney for North Dakota.