Katie Lane

Kathleen Smithgall Lane
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana
Incumbent
Assumed office
June 18, 2026
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded bySusan P. Watters
Personal details
BornKathleen Lynn Smithgall
(1991-10-16) October 16, 1991
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Education

Kathleen Smithgall Lane (born October 16, 1991) (known professionally as Katie Lane, formerly known professionally as Katie Smithgall) is an American lawyer who has served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana since 2026. She was a senior litigation attorney for the Republican National Committee from 2025 to 2026. The American Bar Association rated Lane "not qualified" due to her lack of legal experience.

Early life and education

Lane was born Kathleen Lynn Smithgall on October 16, 1991, in Atlanta, Georgia.[1][2] She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Furman University in 2014 and her Juris Doctor from Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University in 2017.[3] She clerked for Judge Thomas A. Varlan of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee from 2017 to 2018 and Judge Timothy Tymkovich of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit from 2019 to 2020.[4]

Career

Lane worked as an associate at Jones Day at its Washington, D.C. office from 2020 to 2021. She then served as the Deputy Solicitor General of Montana from 2021 to 2023.[3] She subsequently worked as an associate at Consovoy McCarthy PLLC in Arlington from 2023 to 2025.[2] From 2025 to 2026, Lane served as a senior litigation attorney for the Republican National Committee.[4]

Federal judicial service

In December 2025, Lane was recommended to the Trump administration by United States Senator Steve Daines.[2] On February 12, 2026, President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Lane to the seat on the United States District Court for the District of Montana being vacated by Judge Susan P. Watters.[4] On March 27, 2026, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing on Lane and some other nominees and she faced questions from Democrats about the her partisan background and the fact that she has been licensed to practice law for only 9 years, short of the American Bar Association's (ABA) recommended 12 years.[5] In April 2026, the ABA rated Lane "not qualified"; the only one of dozens of nominees during the second Trump administration to receive the "not qualified" rating, as of June 2026. Despite this, Senate Republicans backed her nomination.[6] On April 30, 2026, the Judiciary Committee reported her nomination to the floor on a 12–10 party-line vote. On June 1, 2026, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination 50–44.[7] On June 2, 2026, the Senate confirmed her nomination 52–46.[8] She received her judicial commission on June 18, 2026.[9]

Personal life

Lane married Will Lane on October 21, 2023.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Montana Democratic Party v. Jacobsen". content.next.westlaw.com. Westlaw. September 21, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Lane, Kathleen Smithgall (February 20, 2026). "Senate Judiciary Committee Questionnaire" (PDF). www.judiciary.senate.gov. Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Katie Lane". April 1, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Truth Social". Truth Social.
  5. ↑ Lutey, Tom (March 27, 2026). "Senate Judiciary Committee questions Bozeman's Katie Lane on federal bench nomination".
  6. ↑ "US Senate confirms Trump judicial nominee deemed 'not qualified' by ABA". Reuters. 2026.
  7. ↑ "PN851-3 - Nomination of Kathleen S. Lane for The Judiciary, 119th Congress (2025-2026)". www.congress.gov. May 21, 2026.
  8. ↑ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Kathleen S. Lane, of Montana, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Montana)". senate.gov. June 2, 2026.
  9. ↑ Katie Lane at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  10. ↑ "Katie Smithgall and Will Lane's Wedding Registry on Zola". Zola.
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