MANILA, Philippines — A second-generation Filipino-American has been nominated as federal district court judge for the Southern District of New York.

Lorna Schofield's name has been recommended by New York Senator Charles Schumer to United States President Barack Obama.

Shofield is the only child of a Filipina who migrated to the US during the post-World War II reconstruction of the Philippines.

After Shofield’s father left the family when she was only three years old, she and her mother remained in the Midwest.

She grew up in a blue collar community and received a full tuition scholarship to attend Indiana University and later earned her law degree from the New York University Law School.

In 2008, Schofield was named one of the 50 most influential minority lawyers in the US by the National Law Journal.

She served as Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York for four years before joining the firm of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP where she is currently serving as counsel.

Her nomination was hailed by both Filipino and Asian organizations in the US.

In a statement, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) pointed out that Schofield’s nomination and confirmation by the Senate would make her the first in the history of the United States to serve as a federal judge

“Given that Asian Americans are significantly underrepresented in the federal judiciary, Ms. Shofield’s addition will greatly enhance the judiciary’s diversity," said NaFFAA National Chairman Ed Navarra.

Rozita Lee, NaFFAA National Vice Chair Emeritus, stressed that Shofield meets the requirements of the job due in large measure to her education, professional experience and judicial philosophy.