Lucy Tate has been appointed to the Pontefract bench, the Department for Constitutional Affairs said.
She is younger than a 20-year-old man who was selected for the North Sussex bench last year.
It follows a £4m government drive to recruit magistrates who were more representative of the communities they served.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Constitutional Affairs said: "She is definitely the youngest that has been appointed.
"She had to go through a rigorous selection process that involved the local advisory committee."
The spokeswoman said Miss Tate, who is studying for a law degree in Leeds, was considered an outstanding candidate.
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