President nominates gay lawyer J. Paul Oetken to be federal judge

New York City - President Obama has nominated a gay man, J. Paul Oetken, to be a federal judge.

If confirmed, Oetken would be the first openly gay man to serve on the federal bench, the New York Times reported.

Oetken served as a White House attorney and Justice Department attorney under President Clinton.

He was nominated by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY).

"I am looking for people who fit the three criteria [of legal excellence, moderation of views and diversity], and I was shocked to learn there were no openly gay male judges on the entire federal bench," Schumer told the New York Times.

Oetken is currently associate counsel for Cablevision. He's a graduate of the University of Iowa and Yale Law School, and also clerked for Supreme Court Justice Henry Blackmun.