LINCOLN- longtime federal court judge, described as a pioneer and advocate of women's rights and the "Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Nebraska legal community," died unexpectedly and peacefully at her home overnight, Nebraska's chief district judge said.

"The entire federal court family is devastated by the sudden and unexpected loss of Senior Judge Laurie Smith Camp," Judge John M. Gerrard said Thursday.

In 2001, she was appointed to the District Court by then-President George W. Bush and confirmed by a unanimous vote of the Senate. She was the first woman appointed as a U.S. district judge in Nebraska. Smith Camp transitioned to senior status in December 2018, but continued to carry an active caseload.

"Her legacy is profound, and her historical mark on Nebraska's federal court is permanent," Gerrard said.

Smith Camp was 66.

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