Ellen Pober Rittberg, a Plainview resident of the Town of Oyster Bay for the past 18 years, has just been named the Democratic candidate for the position of District Court Judge, Fourth Judicial District. The Fourth Judicial District includes the Township of Oyster Bay as well as the City of Glen Cove. Rittberg, who maintains a busy practice from her Plainview office, has just been found "well qualified for the office of District Court judge" by the Nassau County Bar Association's Judiciary Committee.

Rittberg says she regards being a judge "as a form of public service. My law practice includes representing children in custody, neglect and family violence matters as well as victims of domestic violence. I am in court almost every day and I am asked to make recommendations to judges about important matters. I am asked to take positions as to where children should live. I am also asked to make recommendations about people who are alleged to be incompetent. These are important issues that directly affect the lives of people in major ways and I take firm stands after assessing the facts of the case. I care about my clients.

If I am elected judge, I will care about what I do and approach each case with the care and attention it deserves." Rittberg says one of her aims is to make the courts more "user-friendly. Many people are petrified about coming to court. I have all kinds of reactions of parties in court. I have seen people faint, cry, and go hysterical ¬ those weren't my clients, but I have observed such things happening while waiting in court for my cases to be called. In some of those instances, things could have been less stressful to all involved. A judge should be courteous and even-tempered. People should always be dealt with with common courtesy."

Rittberg's 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 family's lives up close has transformed me as a person and has given me invaluable experience in assessing people and situations."

Prior to becoming an attorney, Rittberg was a journalist. She was a staff writer for a weekly newspaper, 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 being a judge. 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 case load, and I am expected to perform efficiently. Judges are expected to move through their heavy case calendars efficiently each day."

Rittberg says a judge doesn't just bring a certain degree of intellect and logic to the job but also brings "life experience and maturity" to the job ¬ or ought to.

"Raising children made me patient and mature. It's a valuable life lesson, putting one's needs behind the needs of one's children. My three children ¬ two are in college and one is in law school ¬ are very close in age. 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 loves living in Plainview and that she chose it because "it's a child-centered community, where families and family life are important and are valued."

Rittberg says she hopes the voters will remember to come out and vote for the judicial candidates on Election Day. "And my hope is that they will consider experience, compassion and common sense as important prerequisites for the job."