Governor Mike Rounds appointed three people to be circuit judges in South Dakota. With this latest decision comes a first for the Governor; his first time appointing women to the bench.

For more than 15 years, attorney Kristine O'Connell has been practicing law in South Dakota. O'Connell says hearing of Governor Round's choices for circuit judge positions is a great accomplishment for women in the legal field.

"They all come to the Governor very qualified, so when he had selected 2 women, out of the 3, I was very pleased,” O’Connell said.

Governor Rounds appointed Mary P. Thorstenson to the bench in the Seventh Judicial Circuit, which includes Pennington and Custer counties. Robin Jacobson Houwman was appointed to judgeships in the Second Judicial Circuit, which includes Minnehaha and Lincoln Counties.

"I wasn't surprised, I was very pleased. I know that there's been some discussion in past judicial selections about not selecting a woman,” O’Connell said.

She says this will help set an example for the next generation of women, who are currently studying in law school.

"You can be successful, you can continue to have a family and a career and ascend to one of the highest positions in the state,” O’Connell said.

O'Connell says about 50 percent of students in law school are women.

“As time has gone on, we see more women going into that profession and being very successful at it,” O’Connell said.

Mary P. Thorstenson is currently attorney advisor in the U.S. Department of Interior's Office of Hearings and Appeals in Rapid City. Thorstenson graduated from the University of South Dakota School of Law, in 1988.

Robin Jacobson Houwman is an assistant U.S. Attorney in Sioux Falls. Houwman graduated from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 1996.

Governor Rounds made the selections from a list of 11 candidates submitted by the South Dakota Judicial Qualifications Commission.