The U.S. Senate confirmed Katie Lane as a federal district court judge Tuesday in a 52-46 party-line vote, giving Montana a new seat on the federal bench. Lane, a former deputy to Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, was nominated by President Donald Trump in February.

Lane, formerly Katie Smit, built her legal career in the Montana attorney general's office, where she worked under Knudsen before her nomination. Her confirmation follows a pattern of Trump's judicial picks drawing unified Democratic opposition, with every Republican senator voting in favor and every Democrat opposed.

For Montanans, the confirmation means a new voice on the federal bench handling cases that regularly touch on public lands, water rights, tribal matters, and the other federally heavy legal questions that define life in a state where the U.S. government owns a significant share of the land. Federal district court judges in Montana carry substantial caseloads and serve lifetime appointments.