CWL DEBI Committee Presents
A Fireside Chat on History, Progress & the Law
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm PT
Via Zoom - Session will be recorded
Featured Speaker
Judge John A. Houston
Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California
Judge John A. Houston was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. Judge Houston graduated from North Carolina A&T State University and the University of Miami School of Law. Before joining the federal bench, Judge Houston served in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps and served as an Assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California. Judge Houston was appointed to serve as a Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of California in 1998, and was nominated to serve as a District Court Judge for the Southern District of California in 2003.
Emcee & Inerviewer
Yahairah Aristy
Yahairah Aristy was born and raised in New York City, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Aristy has served as a Deputy Public Defender in San Diego for over 20 years and her current role is office-wide Recruitment and Mentorship Program Coordinator. Aristy previously served as an affiliate governor on the board of CWL, and is a past president of CWL affiliate organization Lawyers Club of San Diego and the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Foundation. Aristy has been recognized for her community service and leadership through receiving the Service to Diversity Award from the San Diego County Bar Association, the Frederick Douglass Award from the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Foundation, and being named a Top 50 Women of Influence in Law by the San Diego Business Journal.
Free to attend
