Goodwin Liu's nomination to be a judge on the US Court Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has moved a step closer to fruition with the Senate Judiciary Committee vote to move it to the full-floor for debate.

Liu is an associate dean and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, law school.

If the Senate approves him as an appeals court judge, Liu would be in line for a Supreme Court nomination and potentially the first Asian American on the high court.

That's one reason many in the Asian American community are closely watching his nomination to the appeals court.

Liu's legal and academic credentials seem flawless, but he is opposed by Republicans and will likely face opposition for his liberal views on affirmative action and abortion.