Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has nominated a local attorney as a district court judge in Pittsfield, more than a year after the governor said filling vacancies in Berkshire County was on his radar.

Mark Pasquariello, an Adams-based attorney for almost 20 years, was announced as Baker’s choice for the Pittsfield judgeship on Wednesday.

Berkshire County Bar Association president Richard Dohoney said Pasquariello is a good choice for the job. He said it’s a first step towards filling other judge positions in the Berkshires, some which have been open for years.

“The vacancies sometimes stay open twice-as-long in Berkshire County as they have in other places in the state,” Dohoney said. “That’s just not acceptable.”

The state’s trial court has been using a judge who’s past the mandatory retirement age, and others from out of town, to fill in the gaps.

Attorneys and prosecutors have said they prefer local judges, who are more familiar with and accountable to their communities.