Montana U.S. District Judge Susan Watters, who holds court in Billings, will retire to senior status next year, the court announced Tuesday.
Watters informed President Donald Trump and Montana's congressional delegation of her decision in a June 30 letter. The president will nominate a replacement, who must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Watters was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2013, the first woman to serve as a federal judge in Montana. She was raised in Billings and earned her undergraduate degree from Eastern Montana College (now known as MSU Billings) in 1980, then receiving her law degree from the University of Montana in 1988.
Watters was a Yellowstone County deputy attorney from 1989 to 1995. She also served as a judge from 1998 to 2013 in the 13th district court of Montana, which is based in Billings.
Watters' retirement is effective June 8, 2026. As a senior federal judge, Watters will take a reduced workload but continue to be eligible to hear federal cases.
Montana has three full-time federal district court judges, all Obama appointees: Watters, Judge Brian Morris of Great Falls and Judge Dana Christensen of Missoula.
