Today we’d like to introduce you to Yahairah Aristy.
Hi Yahairah, we’d love for you to start by sharing with us how you got to where you are today
How I got to where I am today is the product of many experiences that begun in my childhood. My childhood was filled with experiences that I believe is best children do not experience – divorce, parents with substance abuse disorder, neglect, and physical abuse. These experiences served as a catalyst for me to depend on my maternal grandmother for provision of my daily needs as a child, and because of her I did not grow up in the foster care system.
When I was in middle school and high school the home environment experiences improved, and the setbacks my parents had strengthened my resolve to leave home and make something of myself by attending college. My mother was instrumental in instilling in me the value of education and service.
I began working at age 13 because my mother required that I financially contribute to the household. I worked as a summer camp counselor every summer until I was 21 years old. Beginning to work at such a young age helped me develop a very strong work ethic that remains in me today, 35 years later. I learned that providing for myself created an independence that no one could ever take away. I learned to do my absolute best at work regardless of the circumstances.
I learned that attending college was the path to getting a good paying job and escaping my home environment. My sister and I were the first college graduates of our family benefitting greatly from the Higher Education Opportunity Program. College was a great experience because I was free from my home environment. I was free to discover who I was and how I wanted to impact the world.
During college is also where I realized that my childhood had been abnormal and devoid of many traditional positive childhood experiences. I also learned that regardless of my family background, poverty, and abuse, the world was still my oyster—I somehow was still a useful, honorable, and compassionate human being, and the opportunity to succeed was available to me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been smooth sailing, but that’s okay because the lessons are invaluable.
After I graduated from college, I obtained a Master of Arts in clinical psychology while working full-time as either a teacher or social worker. My sister and I were the first in our family to earn a master’s degree.
My goal was to obtain a doctoral degree in child psychology, but that did not come to fruition once I began to work as a clinical social worker with severely abused and neglected children involved in the juvenile dependency system.As a clinical social worker, I had the opportunity to appear in court and to provide an opinion on the family’s progress and on whether parental rights should be terminated. But I soon began to notice that the clinical aspects of the families were being minimized or absent in the legal representation, resulting in an incomplete picture being presented to the judge. That experience was pivotal in my deciding to attend law school so I could become a legal advocate that presented the complete picture to the judge.
I attended law school part-time during the evenings while I worked full-time for the San Diego County’s child welfare services department as a social worker for six months and then in the policy section until I began working as a deputy public defender.
After graduating from law school, passing the bar exam on my first attempt was my next challenge. It turned out to be very challenging because the already-approved six weeks I had off from work was changed to only two weeks. I panicked, but then rolled up my sleeves and revised my study program accordingly. I worked full time during the day and then attended bar preparation classes in the evenings, followed with by a few additional more hours once I was home for the evening.
Unfortunately, soon after I was off, I was diagnosed with severe bronchitis. My doctor told me I needed to sleep at least eight hours during the day in addition to normal sleeping hours to recover or I would not be taking the bar exam. He was unyielding in his recommendation, and I followed his advice because I could not risk not taking the bar exam. After I recovered from the bronchitis, I resumed my bar exam study as I had planned from the beginning. Then my father who resided in New York had a heart attack. I could not travel to New York City to be with him because of the upcoming bar exam, so I was on the telephone with the doctors frequently to ensure he was well while other family members thankfully were able to be with him in New York.
With so many obstacles and sacrifice, my bar exam study was atypical, and I could only complete the minimum requirements and the bar preparation class. Nonetheless, while it looked improbable that I would pass the first time to many, I remained steadfast in my goal to pass the first time. I knew I was putting in the greatest effort possible with the time I had to prepare. Thankfully I succeeded.
The experience of the bar exam taught me that I will always rise to any challenge with tenacity, unwavering dedication, flexibility, and deep faith in God –and that giving up is simply not an option.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
When I attended law school, I interned for the Office of the Public Defender and discovered my love for criminal defense. I wanted to help the indigent population by providing excellent lawyering as a deputy public defender and I wanted my clients to know they were getting the best representation possible, despite having an appointed lawyer. I also wanted to be a deputy public defender to be part of the checks and balances of the criminal justice system, and to bring humanity into the decision-making process that is sometimes lacking in the criminal justice system.
When I was sworn in as an attorney, the personnel officer for the Office of the Public Defender was present at my swearing-in ceremony and offered me a position with the Public Defender’s office. To perfect my craft as an attorney, I completed a training program at the National Criminal Defense College in addition to many trainings offered through the California Public Defender’s Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
As a deputy public defender, I have accomplished my goals and I am gratified when I hear judges, colleagues and even adversaries speak favorably about my lawyering without knowing my goals. I feel proud when I hear them say that I do my best for every client and that I bring the human element and the human story to my cases, which contribute to positive resolutions.
One of my favorite professional compliments came when I had jury duty and neither the prosecutor nor the defense attorney used a peremptory challenge to excuse me. Instead, the judge asked if the parties were okay if she excused me so I can return to work– is the only reason I did not sit as juror number 12.
Another professional compliment came after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, which required me to be on intermittent medical leave for a year. I had a number of life-top cases (homicide, sodomy, and home invasion robbery with a gun) at the time, and I did not think it was fair for my clients to wait for my return. I offered each of them the option to have another attorney assigned to their cases, but each one refused to have a new attorney. Instead, each waited for my return, understanding that I would be on and off on medical leave for a year.
I am proud to say that I have been a deputy public defender since 2005 and there is not a day at work that I do not appreciate the privilege to serve our community in this role.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I firmly believe that to live fully requires taking risks because without doing so a person cannot grow or learn. Like many, I am risk adverse and definitely prefer the guaranteed route. However, life does not work that way, so I have long accepted risks are part of life and career. From your previous questions, you can probably gleaned that I have taken risks to where I am today. I am so glad that I didn’t let fear or the unknown keep me from pursuing my goals in life or career. In my personal life, the greatest risks were when I decided to leave my home and family after college to go to two different states without any connections to pursue graduate degrees . I did it twice, and ultimately found my roots in California. I have lived in California now the same amount of years as my birth state. I am so glad that I took the leap of faith –because it is a good life. Pivoting to my job, as a trial lawyer the greatest risk comes when presenting a case to a jury – a group of strangers who do not know the parties, the client or each other, but will sit in judgment and decide your client’s fate as to innocence or guilt.Therein lies the risk because my job is to present the case in a human relatable way that does not risk offending the jury or leaves them confused or with more questions than answers. Instead, leaves them with a good understanding of the case, the burden of proof, and with a strong commitment to render justice. Yet, this is one of the risks I enjoyed the most of job because it requires the greatest attention to detail, research, creativity, and preparation, and win or lose, I know I have done my very best for my client.
I encourage everyone to take risks that are necessary for life and career, because it always helps make you a better version of yourself, and more importantly success does not come when you stand at the sidelines playing it safe.
