Topeka ? Gov. Sam Brownback has appointed a veteran Topeka attorney to a seat on the district court that considers challenges to state laws and agency actions.

Brownback announced Thursday that Teresa Watson will succeed Shawnee County District Judge Jean Schmidt, who recently retired.

Watson is an attorney in private practice who received her law degree from Washburn University in Topeka in 1994. She has also worked as a research attorney for both the Kansas Supreme Court and the state Court of Appeals.

Brownback cited her experience in private practice and with the state.

The district court in Shawnee County has a higher profile than others because it is in the capital city and reviews questions about the constitutionality of laws or the legality of state agency actions.