Anonymous says:
This is a terribly misleading headline. She was not “appointed to federal court”, which is the phrase you’d use if she was appointed to be a federal judge. She was sworn in as a member of the federal bar for the District Court of South Dakota, which is the same thing every other attorney who wants to practice in federal court is required to do. It takes a form, a sponsor, a fee, and an appearance before a judge to have it approved and be sworn in.
Now the rest of the speculation in the post is correct. The only reason that the president of Augie would need to be a member of the federal bar is that she was not going to be the president of Augie in the near future. But the fact that she is now joining the federal bar means she has never before practiced in federal court, which raises serious questions about her qualifications for either US Attorney or a federal judge.