Law section

Local Bar Honor Lawyer: The San Diego County Bar Association named David S. Casey Jr., a senior partner with the San Diego firm Casey Gerry Reed & Schenk, the Legal Professional of the Year.

The honor recognizes Casey’s work on behalf of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

As vice president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Casey played a key role in organizing a moratorium on civil lawsuits related to the attacks.

He and other members of the ATLA’s executive committee sought ways in which the plaintiffs’ bar could assist survivors and those who lost loved ones.

“We knew that people were in shock and were grieving,” Casey said. “Calling for a moratorium on the possible lawsuits was the right thing to do, and it was observed for more than three months. Since that time, only a handful of lawsuits have been filed.”

After the federal government created a victims’ compensation fund, Casey and other ATLA officers pledged to create a nonprofit group called Trial Lawyers Care. Its attorneys will provide free legal services to victims applying for compensation.