Biden and Ketanji Brown Jackson will deliver remarks this afternoon on Supreme Court nomination

President Biden met with Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for her Supreme Court interview earlier this month – more than a week ago, a senior administration official says, in a meeting that the White House managed to keep entirely under the radar.

For more than a year, the President had familiarized himself with her work, reading many of her opinions and other writings – along with those of other contenders.

But the official says Biden also was impressed by her life story, including her rise from federal public defender to federal appellate judge – and her upbringing as the daughter of two public school teachers and administrators.

“President Biden sought a candidate with exceptional credentials, unimpeachable character and unwavering dedication to the rule of law,” the senior official said.

From the beginning, Jackson was the leading contender — but the official said the President gave “considerable weight” to other finalists, including Judge Michelle Childs and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger.

The President reached his final decision this week, the official said, and extended the offer to her in a phone call on Thursday evening. She accepted in a call that lasted several minutes, the official said.

The White House considered delaying the announcement, given the events in Russia, but believed it was critical to get the second phase of the confirmation process moving, the official said.