Butler County Common Pleas Judge Marilyn Horan is set to go before a panel of U.S. senators Wednesday, after being nominated by President Barack Obama this summer to serve as a federal judge.

If — when — she’s confirmed, Judge Horan will become the newest member of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. She’ll trade her chambers at Butler County Courthouse for offices in Pittsburgh, and step into a federal court system overwhelmed by civil cases.

Judge Horan deserves Butler County’s thanks for her years of dedicated service, and wishes of congratulations and good luck as she is recognized for her excellence on the bench.

If a national spotlight is going to shine on a Butler County judge, Marilyn Horan is a fortuitous selection. By all accounts Judge Horan is a tireless public servant and mentor to young people and attorneys.

Horan, who is a 1972 graduate of Butler High School and an alumna of Penn State University and the University of Pittsburgh, has served on the bench in the county since 1996. Currently she is in the court’s civil division.

Horan, the first female judge in county history, has distinguished herself year after year through her poise and dedication — both from the bench and otherwise.

Last year, she received the Anne X. Alpern Award from the Pennsylvania Bar Association. The award is given to recognize community service and professional impact on women in the law.

In 2006, Horan became the first Butler County resident to receive the Susan B. Anthony Award from the Women’s Bar Association of Western Pennsylvania.

President Judge Susan Gantman, who is on Pennsylvania’s Superior Court, called Horan “an outstanding jurist and an outstanding person.”

Five years ago, Horan spearheaded the formation of a specialty court to address credit conciliation for county residents facing financial legal issues. The judge is also involved in multiple mentoring programs that focus on helping everyone from high school students to new attorneys.

Congressional confirmations of judicial nominees are big news these days — mostly because they’re often artificially inflated, politically fraught affairs.

There’s no reason for that kind of circus to take place here.

Judge Horan deserves a nod of approval from the panel, and words of encouragement and good luck as she embarks upon a new phase of her judicial career.