San Diego plaintiff's attorney David Casey Jr. has been elected president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the nation's largest trial bar and a powerful lobbying force in Washington, D.C.

Casey, who ran unopposed at the organization's annual convention a few weeks ago in Atlanta, will serve for one year as president-elect before assuming the top post next July. During the next 12 months, he will work with San Francisco attorney Mary Alexander, the 2002-2003 president.

"I worked closely with David on behalf of the people during the 2996 California initiative battles and could not be more pleased that he is ATLA's president-elect," Alexander said in a press release. "He and I will be an effective team n the coming year to advance consumer-safety issues and educate the public about the importance of the right to trial by jury."