Many business groups and professional organizations are mourning the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, saying his passing robbed the nation of one of its most provocative legal minds.

"His great intellect, dedication and service to the nation, the law and the American Bar Association will be missed," the American Bar Association said in a statement. The group noted Scalia had been active in the organization before becoming a Supreme Court justice, and was at one point chairman of ABA's Section of Administrative Law.

"In his 30 years on the Supreme Court, he made an indelible mark on American law and jurisprudence," ABA said.

Scalia died Saturday at a luxury hunting resort in Texas. While no official cause of death had been announced as of Tuesday morning, several media outlets reported he died of natural causes.

Scalia was a polarizing figure, loved by conservatives and business interests but reviled by liberals and groups that advocate for minority rights. But even organizations that disagreed with him in the past praised him for his 30 years of service on the Supreme Court.

"We honor and respect his dedication to the highest court, where he worked tirelessly to see that justice was done," said Robert Maldonado, president of the Hispanic National Bar Association. "While the HNBA may not always have agreed with him on issues of importance to the Latino community, we value his service to the American people."

Karen Harned, executive director of the National Federation of Independent Business's Small Business Legal Center, said that for lawyers like herself, Scalia was "as much a teacher as he was a jurist."

"He was certainly one of the most important influences in my career, not only because he was brilliant and compelling, but because he so obviously loved the practice of law," Harned said. "His opinions were equal parts history lesson, philosophy lesson and moral lesson. And there's never been anyone more fun to watch, especially when outnumbered, defending his own thinking."

U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Donohue extended his organization's condolences to Scalia's family and colleagues.

"Justice Scalia was a brilliant judge and he will be profoundly missed, but his contributions to the rule of law and his service to our country will endure forever," he said.

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