HELENA — The U.S. Senate gave approval this week to Montana’s newest federal judge, Katie Lane.
Senators voted 52-46 Tuesday to confirm Lane as a district court judge. It was a party-line vote, with all Republicans in support and all Democrats opposed.
(Watch the video for more on Lane.)
President Donald Trump nominated Lane in February. Formerly Katie Smithgall, she was a deputy solicitor general under Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen from May 2021 to March 2023. She has since worked as a senior counsel for litigation with the Republican National Committee, where she was involved with election-related legal cases.
Montana’s two U.S. senators, Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, released a statement congratulating Lane.
“Her experience as Deputy Solicitor General for Montana and in various courts across America makes her well-qualified to serve our state in this new capacity,” they said. “She will bring honor, decency, and integrity to the bench and we look forward to seeing all that she will do on behalf of the Treasure State.”
However, Democrats questioned how qualified Lane was for the job, primarily because of her relatively short law career. The American Bar Association rated her “Not Qualified,” the first time in Trump’s second term that the organization gave that rating to one of his judicial nominees. The ABA committee was split, with a minority saying she should have been rated “Qualified.”
Knudsen praised Lane’s experience in a statement congratulating her on her confirmation.
“Katie brings a wealth of knowledge and integrity to the bench that will continue to make Montana a great place to live and raise a family,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure to get to know Katie since she first joined my office five years ago, and I look forward to welcoming her home to the Treasure state.”
Lane will take over for District Judge Susan Watters, who will move into “senior status,” a form of semi-retirement where she can still hear federal cases but will have a reduced workload. She will be based in Billings.
Two of Montana’s three full-time federal judges have now been appointed by Trump. District Judge Bill Mercer was nominated and confirmed last year.
