Nonstop Local News Montana: Pres. Trump’s pick for Montana federal judge faces questions over trial experience
This excerpt is from a piece that originally ran on April 1, 2026.
Some activist groups, including Alliance for Justice, opposed the nomination. The group argued Lane did not have enough experience to serve as a federal judge and pointed to her limited trial work in nine years.
The American Bar Association recommends a minimum of 12 years of legal work for federal judge nominations.
“It does call into question if someone only has nine years of legal experience and not that much trial experience, you know, why was she selected to preside over a federal courtroom?” said Christine Chen Zimmer, federal research and policy director for the Alliance for Justice.