The legal challenge to a new Georgia law intended to dramatically limit abortions in the state has been assigned to a federal judge in Atlanta with nearly 24 years of experience on the bench.

U.S. District Judge Steve Jones—whose 2011 appointment to the federal bench marked a consensus between President Barack Obama’s administration and Georgia Republican Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss—will preside over a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s “fetal heartbeat” law.