Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has appointed Lynn Nakamoto to serve on Oregon's highest court.
Nakamoto currently serves on the Oregon Court of Appeals. She's replacing Judge Virginia Linder, who's retiring from the Oregon Supreme Court at the end of the year.
The governor's office calls the appointment historic, saying Nakamoto will become the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the Oregon Supreme Court. Nakamoto was born and raised in southern California and first came to Oregon nearly 30 years ago. She was appointed to the Oregon Court of Appeals in 2011 by then-Gov. Ted Kulongoski.
Nakamoto will have the option of running for a full six year term on the Oregon Supreme Court during next year's elections.