In a game of musical chairs at the Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday, former Justice Jeff Brown took the oath of office for his new federal bench in Galveston, and new Justice Jane Bland was immediately sworn in to replace him. During a standing-room-only ceremony in the Texas Supreme Court's chambers in Austin, attended by a long list of state officials and dignitaries, Chief Justice Nathan Hecht said it was a day of mixed emotions. "The Texas Supreme Court says farewell to a great justice and good friend, who we will miss, but we know Judge Brown will excel just as Justice Brown has," he explained. "We are very excited to welcome our new member, Justice Jane Bland of Houston, a seasoned trial and appellate judge." Brown won Senate confirmation to the federal bench July 31, and Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Bland to replace him on the state's highest civil court in late August. Bland will fill the rest of Brown's term in office and must run for reelection to remain on the bench in 2020. After Hecht administered Brown's oath for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Galveston, Brown said that leaving the Texas Supreme Court was bittersweet because he'll always consider his service there as the highest honor of his life. He felt assured that he was leaving his seat better than he found it because of the appointment of Bland, who will benefit the court with her wisdom, sense of humor, and devotion to justice and the rule of law, said Brown. "Gov. Abbott could not have chosen better," he said. Abbott, who attended the ceremony to administer the oath of office to Bland, joked that her appointment would force the court to get creative about referring to the many justices whose initials are "J.B." Those justices included Brown, and also Jeff Boyd, Jimmy Blacklock and now Jane Bland. "It should be: J.B. one, two and three," Abbott said to chuckles in the crowd. Getting serious, the governor noted that he was a past Texas Supreme Court justice. "One thing about a governor being a former Supreme Court justice is you know what to look for when you need to appoint a justice to the Texas Supreme Court," he said. "I found what I was looking for in Justice Jane Bland." Abbott said that she has repeatedly shown that she is the best, from law school to a judicial clerkship to her stint in Big Law at Baker Botts, and continuing as a trial and appellate court jurist in Houston. "In my opinion there is a difference between excellence and extraordinary. Excellence describes a person who achieves high honors. Extraordinary describes a person who consistently achieves excellence. Jane Bland is extraordinary," he explained. "I know for a fact she will bring extraordinary talent to an already exceptional Supreme Court." In remarks after taking her oath, Bland said she looked forward to working with other high court justices because she's seen they're committed to judicial excellence, improving justice for all Texans, resolving disputes with patience and grace and remaining faithful to the rule of law. Bland said, "I have an abounding joy for this work." Related stories: Meet Texas' Newest Supreme Court Justice How 3 Texas Lawyers Climbed to the Peak of Their Profession Meet the New Texas Judges: Senate Confirms 6 Federal Jurists