Furman alumna Kathleen Lane ’14 commissioned as federal judge for District of Montana

Kathleen Smithgall Lane, a 2014 Furman University alumna, was confirmed as Montana’s newest federal judge.

Lane, 34, was nominated by President Donald Trump on March 2 to fill a vacant seat for the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. She was confirmed by the Senate on June 2 and was issued her commission on June 18.

Lane studied communication studies and economics at Furman before attending the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, where she received her juris doctor in 2017. She served as an assistant solicitor general and deputy solicitor general for Montana from 2021-2023, working for Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen.

“Congratulations to Katie on her well-deserved confirmation as Montana’s newest federal judge. 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,” Knudsen said in a press release.

Before her nomination, Lane served as senior legal counsel for the Republican National Committee. She was an associate at a private practice in Arlington Virginia. Prior to her work in the Montana Attorney General’s office, she served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Timothy Tymkovich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and for Judge Thomas Varlan of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.