Douglas County’s newest judge, Barbara Kay Huff, will be sworn in during a Jan. 14 ceremony.

Huff was selected by Gov. Mark Parkinson in December to replace District Judge Jean Shepherd, who is retiring.

Huff said the ceremony will be at 4 p.m. in the Division One court room at the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St.

Huff, 53, is spending the next few days wrapping up her private law practice that primarily consists of criminal law and civil litigation. She has practiced in Lawrence since 1991.

Shepherd, who has served as a judge since 1984, primarily handles family law and juvenile cases, but the six district court judges plan to divide those types of cases after the transition.