For nearly 30 years, Thomas F. Liotti of Westbury has served as a private practice attorney. Now, Liotti is hoping to take his career to the next level as he patiently waits to find out if he has passed the first round in a lengthy process for a federal judgeship.

Currently, there are no Italian-American judges seated on the federal bench and Liotti is hoping to be the first. In January 2005, the Italian American Initiative for the Federal Judiciary, which falls under the Confederation of Columbian Lawyer Associations, recommended Liotti for a judicial nomination for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit or the United States District Court for the Eastern or Southern Districts of New York.

As a result, Liotti then began seeking support from fellow attorneys, public officials, clients and prominent business owners in the form of letters of reference, which were then sent to President George Bush, Governor George Pataki and New York State Senator Charles Schumer.

To date, Liotti has had some100 people come forward in support of his nomination. He has received a wide range of bi-partisan support from various public officials, including Westbury Village Mayor Ernest Strada, North Hempstead Republican Chairman/Westbury Village Trustee Peter Cavallaro, North Hempstead Town Councilman Robert Troiano (D - 1st C.D.), Nassau County Deputy Presiding Officer Roger Corbin (D - 2nd L.D.) and Legislator Lisanne Altmann (D - 10th L.D), Nassau County Republican Chairman Joseph Mondello, United States Congressman Peter King (R - 3rd C.D.), Oyster Bay Town Councilman Anthony Macagnone and New York State Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg (D - 20th A.D.).

Additionally, Liotti has garnered support from New York area attorneys, judges, professors and clients while family, friends and such community members as Mildred Little, Moses Saxon, Lawrence Boes and Rev. William A. Watson, Jr. have also publicly pledged their support.

In response to their support, Liotti said he thanks them "very, very, very much." "The people who have come forward really have an interest in public affairs and the status of our judiciary," he said. "I just want people to focus on my qualifications, what I have done professionally and personally over the years."

As it currently stands, Liotti has passed what he refers to as "first base." In May, he met with the New York State Federal Judiciary Committee, a screening committee under Pataki. "Their first question to me was 'tell us why you think you are qualified to be a federal judge,'" he said, adding that, over the course of the next 20 minutes, members of the committee fired several similar questions at him. "You answer the best you can [but when you're done] they just say 'thank you.' They don't acknowledge how you did or tell you how long the process takes."

Second base, he said, is the governor then making recommendations before the nomination can go to the president for approval. The end of the road is the approval of the Senate Judiciary Committee. While the process is a lengthy one, Liotti is hopeful a decision will be made prior to the end of Pataki's term. If granted the judgeship, he would have to terminate his private practice, which is currently located at 600 Old Country Road in Garden City. He would also have to resign from his elected position as Westbury Village Justice.

At this time, Liotti said he does not know how many people are being reviewed for what he projects are six probable open seats within New York's four federal court districts; the Eastern District, which includes Nassau County; the Southern District, the Northern District; and the Western District. He is seeking a seat on either the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit or the United States District Court for the Eastern or Southern Districts of New York. Although he is not opposed to being a trial judge, Liotti said he would prefer a position through which he would able to focus on research, writing and reviewing records from trial court proceedings.

In addition to being an attorney, Liotti has served as chair of the Code Review Commission for the Incorporated Village of Westbury, was general counsel to the Wyandanch School District and special counsel and fact finder for the Town of Huntington. Since 1991, he has served as an elected Westbury Village justice. Liotti has co-authored three books, written over 100 law reviews and legal articles and some 30 reported judicial decisions. In addition, over 200 reported decisions bear his name as the attorney of record and he successfully authored or co-authored two amicus curiae briefs in the United States Supreme Court.

While being selected for the federal bench would enable Liotti to "take more of a leadership role" and "do more for more people," the Westbury resident said he won't be devastated if he is not selected. "What I wanted to be, I have been," he said. "I am an advocate and a lawyer. I loved being that [and] and I will continue to be that if I don't get [selected]."