Ellen Pober Rittberg, a resident of Plainview for the past 10 years is a candidate for District Court Judge in the Fourth Judicial District on the Democratic, Liberal and Independence lines. Prior to that, she and her family lived in Hicksville for six years.

The Fourth Judicial District, which includes Plainview, as well as every other village, town and municipality in the Town of Oyster Bay and the City of Glen Cove, has more than 194,000 voters. It is Rittberg's first run for elective office.

"I am running for judge because I regard it as a form of public service," Rittberg said in a recent interview. "The kind of law I practice is public interest law. I represent children and many people who cannot afford the services of a private attorney in matters such as child custody, domestic violence and neglect. I represent victims. I also represent children in juvenile delinquency proceedings. I'm in court almost every day and I am asked to make recommendations to judges about important matters. I am asked to take positions and I take firm stands after assessing the facts of the case, coupled with common sense.

Rittberg says she was not active in party politics prior to being put forward as a candidate and that her desire to be a judge lies in her desire to serve the public and to have a greater impact on society. "I see a great deal of the problems of society playing out in individual families and on society at large. Seeing families' lives up close has transformed me as a person and has given me invaluable experience in assessing people and situations and in formulating opinions."

Prior to becoming an attorney, Rittberg was a journalist. She was a staff writer for the weekly newspaper Jewish Week and was a frequent contributor to the New York Daily News. Her specialty was family trends and social problems. A number of her articles were syndicated nationally and she won several prestigious press club awards, including the Long Island Coalition for Fair Broadcasting Award and the Press Club of Long Island Award for best feature.

"Being a journalist was great training, for it taught me how to be objective which is what a judge must be. It also trained me to complete a story under tight deadline pressure. As an attorney, I have a heavy caseload and I am expected to perform efficiently. This is akin to what judges do. Judges are expected to move through their heavy case calendars efficiently each day."

Rittberg says she believes that one's life experience counts heavily in the mix for the ingredients of a good judge.

"Being a mother trained me, in part, to be a judge. Judges bring with them their life's experience and a large part of my adult life included raising my three college-aged children with my husband. My three children are close in age and I did not work full-time until my youngest child began school. So, for a time I was a full-time mom and then a working mom and then I went to law school, all while my children were fairly young."

Rittberg says she moved to Plainview because she perceived it to be "a child-oriented community where families and family life are important and are valued."

Rittberg says she hopes the voters will "vote the person, not the party. My only hope is that they vote for the more competent, compassionate, experienced person and less the party affiliation."