LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lancaster County district judge has been chosen to serve on the Nebraska Supreme Court.

Gov. Pete Ricketts announced Friday that he has appointed Judge Stephanie Stacy of the first judicial district, consisting of Lancaster and Seward counties.

Stacy has been a judge since 2011. She previously was a partner at a Lincoln law firm and taught at the University of Nebraska College of Law.

Stacy earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and graduated with distinction from the university’s law college.

She has handled a variety of criminal, civil and domestic cases. Last year, she struck down the law that allowed former Gov. Dave Heineman to approve a route for the Keystone XL pipeline.

Stacy replaces Justice Kenneth Stephan, who retired on July 1.