Gregory Korte

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Merrick Garland was not an unknown quantity to President Obama.

The appeals court judge was considered for the 2010 Supreme Court nomination that eventually went to Justice Elena Kagan, and the White House counsel's office keeps updated dossiers on potential candidates in case of a sudden vacancy — as happened with Antonin Scalia's death last month.

So while Obama interviewed "a handful" of other candidates over the past week — aides wouldn't say who — Garland emerged as Obama's first choice for the vacancy.

"Chief Justice Garland, by dint of his body of work and his public service and his reputation and his temperament, is someone who has been in the mix for the Supreme Court before, and the president was familiar with him,” said White House senior adviser Brian Deese said, who coordinated the selection and vetting process.

Obama had promised to nominate someone who was "eminently qualified." Since Garland was last considered, he was elevated to chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and — at 19 years on the bench — now has more federal judicial experience than any Supreme Court nominee in history, the White House said.

But with those qualifications comes a downside: At 63, he's the oldest nominee in 45 years, defying a trend for younger justices in order to extend their life appointments and solidify a president's legacy on the court. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Garland received a physical exam as part of the vetting process and is in good health.

Meet Merrick Garland, Obama's SCOTUS nominee

"Obviously there have been some nominees who have been younger. Chief Justice Garland is roughly in the same age range as Justice (Ruth Bader) Ginsburg and Justice (Harry) Blackmun were when they were nominated,” Deese said. Justice Lewis Powell, nominated by President Nixon in 1971, went on to serve for 15 years and ended up having “quite a significant tenure on the court," he said.

The White House declined to discuss other candidates, but Earnest said they included candidates from non-Ivy League law schools. Deese said the nomination was "not about any potential deficiency of somebody else, but about the extraordinary record and temperament and decency of Chief Judge Garland."

But White House aides also acknowledged that Garland's nomination comes at a different time than Kagan's, as Senate Republicans have vowed to block any nomination until a new president is sworn in next January. Deputy White House Press Secretary Eric Schultz said Garland is "just the right nominee during such a divisive time in our politics."

More coverage of the Garland nomination:

First Take: Obama's Supreme Court surprise

Candidates draw battle lines over high court pick

Five things to know about Merrick Garland

Merrick Garland: A look at the record

GOP senators vow not to consider Garland to fill Supreme Court vacancy

What's next for Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination?