With the New Year comes new opportunities to serve the more than 425 members of the Federal Bar Association, San Diego Chapter. We sincerely thank Rebecca G. Church for her skillful leadership as President of the FBA in 2021. While navigating pandemic-related challenges, the FBA celebrated our members with new Chapter Awards, highlighted the diversity of federal practice through Member Spotlights, and returned to offering our signature events in person.
For 2022, Dylan M. Aste will lead the San Diego FBA’s thirteen-member Board of Directors. Under Dylan’s leadership, we will build on the momentum from 2021 with the help of our many committee volunteers. Meet the Chapter’s President and learn what to expect from the FBA this year, including a new charity golf tournament and mentorship program.
Introducing President Dylan M. Aste
Dylan Aste assumes the role of President after volunteering throughout the organization. In 2019, he planned events on the Legal Education and Professional Advancement Committees. Upon being elected to the Board of Directors in 2020, Dylan served as the Chair of Special Events. Despite the pandemic, he helped increase our website’s content, expand the digital newsletter, create our Civility in the Law webinar series, and organize the State of the District. Then, as President-Elect in 2021, Dylan moderated the popular How to Apply to Be a U.S. District Judge, represented the San Diego FBA at Capitol Hill Day, and helped produce the History of Diversity in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California presentation.
In addition to volunteering for the FBA, Dylan is an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, where he focuses on prosecuting civil claims involving opioid diversion and health care fraud. Dylan is the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Opioid Coordinator and the Co-Chair of its Diversity Committee. He is also an adjunct professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law.
Dylan also serves on the University of San Diego School of Law Alumni Board, is a member of Lawyers Club, and was a Barrister in the Louis M. Welsh American Inn of Court (2017–21). He received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of San Diego School of Law and a B.S. in Computer Science, with distinction, from San Diego State University.
The National FBA selected Dylan as one of five recipients nationwide of the 2020 Younger Federal Lawyer Award. This award honors exceptional younger lawyers (no more than 40 years old) who attain high standards of professional achievement and support the FBA’s Younger Lawyers Division. Dylan also received the University of San Diego School of Law Rising Star Recent Alumni Award (2021) and the Rising Aztec Award from San Diego State University (2019–20).
Dylan is a native San Diegan and hopes to remain in this awesome place his whole life. Dylan is an SDSU sports superfan and welcomes all FBA members to enjoy an Aztec game with him sometime. In his free time—which he will have none of while serving as President—Dylan enjoys being outside, jamming out to blink-182, learning and developing himself, and spending time with his dog Taco.
What to Expect in 2022
We are excited about what the San Diego FBA will offer its members and the community this year under the guidance of Dylan and the Board of Directors. During these times where we have recognized the importance of interpersonal connections, one of our goals in 2022 is to keep our members informed and engaged. In addition to interacting with you at our usual events, we will prioritize connecting through social media, so we encourage you to follow us on our relaunched accounts on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook (@sandiegofba on all platforms).
Perhaps most enthusiastically, the San Diego Chapter will host its first ever charity golf tournament this year to benefit the San Diego federal community! This event is already in the works and will be scheduled in late summer or fall. The inaugural golf tournament will support two very worthwhile causes that will be announced soon. The Chapter is also helping to create the San Diego Federal Bar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that will continue to raise funds and support various causes in the local federal community.
The San Diego Chapter is also forming a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee that will work to build upon the presentation mentioned above, which features Judges Earl B. Gilliam, Judith N. Keep, and Irma E. Gonzalez, and to highlight the diversity of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California. The San Diego FBA will work with affinity bar organizations to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The newer (or soon-to-be) attorneys will be excited to hear that we will create a mentorship program during the year. This will likely begin with this year’s Annual Conference that will address various aspects of controlling your own career.
We will also be rolling out expanded ways to financially support the San Diego Chapter, including firm sponsorship opportunities. And all of this will be on top of our usual signature events, including our upcoming Eighth Annual Ethics, Competence, and Elimination of Bias All-Day MCLE and Judicial Brown Bags.
With an eventful year ahead of us, Dylan shares: “I am excited to work with our excellent Board of Directors and volunteers to serve our members and community this year. I look forward to many educational and fun events and gatherings this year, and I thank all of our members for their continued support.”