The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously forwarded the nomination of Assistant U.S. Attorney Florence "Flo" Nakakuni to the full Senate to be the next U.S. attorney for the District of Hawai'i, Sens. Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel K. Akaka announced yesterday.

If confirmed by the full Senate, Nakakuni would be Hawai'i's first female U.S. attorney.

Nakakuni was nominated on July 14 and replaces Edward H. Kubo Jr., who has been U.S. attorney since 2001.

Nakakuni, a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai'i, has been an assistant U.S. attorney in the District of Hawai'i since 1985.

She has worked as chief of the Drug and Organized Crime Section the last four years.

The District of Hawai'i includes Hawai'i, Saipan, Guam and American Samoa.