Tani Cantil-Sakauye got a very friendly reception at her confirmation hearing in San Francisco on Wednesday.

Governor Schwarzenegger's nominee to be the next chief justice of the California Supreme Court won unanimous approval from the Commission on Judicial Appointments.

The hearing room broke into applause as Chief Justice Ron George declared Tani Cantil-Sakauye qualified to lead the state's highest court,

"I'm so deeply touched by all of you here to come to support this day for me, and it brings a tear to my eye when people mention my grandparents or mention the history of the Filipinos in California," said Cantil-Sakauye.

The UC Davis graduate is the daughter of farm workers, and worked her way up to become a Sacramento appeals court justice.

More than a dozen witnesses spoke at her hearing, mostly to praise her "brilliant legal mind," her fairness, compassion, and decisiveness. Several witnesses also shared what her confirmation would mean to the Filipino-American community. 
   
"The confirmation of a Filipino American as the top judicial officer of this hallowed court would provide a tremendous amount of inspiration and strength for those of us in the practice of law who may not otherwise aspire to the bench," said Melvin Avanzado, a boardmember of the Philippine American Bar Association.

In addition to hearing witnesses, the three-member commission made up of Chief Justice Ron George, appeals court justice Joan Dempsy Kleain, and Attorney General Jerry Brown, also reviewed letters supporting and opposing the nominee.

Cantil-Sakauye's name will now go on the November ballot for voter approval. Her term would begin Jan. 3.