CASEY GERRY PARTNER ESTABLISHES SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT USD SCHOOL OF LAW

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The University of San Diego (USD) School of Law today announced a donation of $250,000 from Lisa and David S. Casey, Jr., which will be used to help establish a Trial Advocacy Scholarship fund.

Casey, a member of the USD Law School’s class of 1974, is a senior partner with Casey Gerry Schenk Francavilla Blatt & Penfield, LLP and a past president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), where he gained national recognition for his work to organize a moratorium on civil lawsuits related to the events of Sept. 11.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Caseys for this generous gift, which will help us continue to provide students with a stellar legal education,” said USD School of Law Dean Kevin Cole.

The Casey’s gift will help the School of Law establish the David S. Casey Trial Advocacy Scholarship, which will be awarded annually to one or more law students showing promise in trial advocacy activities and/or class work.

According to Casey, “we are very pleased to help support USD Law School, which has made an important impact on San Diego’s legal profession and provides an outstanding and well rounded education to some of the area’s top law students.”

The scholarship, he says, is actually named after his late father David S. Casey, a pioneering San Diego litigator who founded what is now known as Casey Gerry in 1947. “My father tried hundreds of jury trials, and it would have given him enormous pleasure to know that this money will be used to support aspiring trial attorneys.”

A third generation attorney, Casey Jr. has spent nearly 30 years practicing law in San Diego. Specializing in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases, he has long been recognized as a top lawyer in his field, and has obtained successful verdicts and settlements for dozens of high profile cases. He played a major role in the fight against the tobacco industry, representing the then-Lt. Gov. Gray Davis in tobacco litigation on behalf of the people of California. During his ATLA tenure, Casey Jr. also helped establish Trial Lawyers Care — the largest pro bono legal program ever undertaken — which provided access to free legal services for eligible victims who applied for compensation under the federal September 11th Victim Compensation Fund

In addition, David Casey Jr. is past president of both the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego and the Consumer Attorneys of California, has been inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and is a fellow of the International Academy of Barristers. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including an “Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award” from the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, the Daniel T. Broderick III award from the San Diego legal community, the “Legal Professional of the Year” from the San Diego County Bar Association and USD’s Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award.

The native La Jollan received his bachelor’s degree from Trinity College. In 1976, he joined what is now Casey Gerry.

About USD School of Law

The University of San Diego School of Law is a center of academic excellence focused on preparing its students for legal practice in the new century. One of the most selective law schools in the country, the School of Law’s nationally recognized faculty create a demanding, yet welcoming environment that emphasizes individualized education.

USD law school graduates consistently score higher than the state average on the California Bar Exam and go on to practice law throughout the country and abroad, forming an influential network of alumni.

The USD School of Law is one of only 80 law schools in the country to have a chapter of The Order of the Coif, the most distinguished rank of American law schools. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, nonprofit, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949. Please visit the Web site at www.law.sandiego.edu for more information.

About Casey Gerry

Casey Gerry was established in 1947, and is the oldest plaintiffs’ law firm in San Diego. The firm’s 11 attorneys practice in numerous areas, including personal injury, product liability, asbestos and pharmaceutical litigation. The firm is located at 110 Laurel St. in the Banker’s Hill neighborhood of San Diego.