The U.S. Senate confirmed Katie Lane as a federal judge for Montana this week, giving President Donald Trump another appointment to the federal bench in a state where a single judge can carry an enormous caseload.

Lane, 34, is one of the younger federal judicial nominees to come through the confirmation process in recent years. She previously worked in the Montana Attorney General's office before moving on to other legal work. Her confirmation vote fell along party lines, which has become the norm for federal judicial confirmations regardless of which party holds the White House.

Montana's federal district is a large and busy one — the state has a small number of federal judges covering enormous geographic territory, and a new confirmed judge means faster movement on a docket that can back up significantly. For Helenans with federal matters, cases are often heard at the federal courthouse on Last Chance Gulch, though the district spans the entire state.

Lane testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in March. With her confirmation now complete, she will be formally invested and begin hearing cases.