<sod>Garland was widely seen as a leading contender for a nomination to the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] in the [[Barack Obama]] administration following the announced retirement of [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States|Justice]] [[John Paul Stevens]] in 2010.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-stevens-thumbs10-2010apr10,0,6242118.story | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Profiles of three possible successors to Justice John Paul Stevens | date=April 10, 2010 | accessdate=May 12, 2010}}</ref><ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=9740077 White House Prepares for Possibility of 2 Supreme Court Vacancies], ABC News February 4, 2010</ref><ref>Jess Bravin, [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703894304575047603606503576.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_us Democrats Divide on Voice of Possible Top-Court Pick] ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' (February 8, 2010)</ref> In 2010, Obama interviewed Garland for a Supreme Court vacancy ultimately filled by [[Elena Kagan]].<ref name="ShearHarris">{{Cite newspaper|first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |first2=Gardiner | last2=Harris |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/17/us/politics/obama-supreme-court-nominee.html|title=Obama to Nominate Merrick Garland to Supreme Court|date=March 16, 2016|website=The New York Times|access-date=March 16, 2016}}</ref> At the time, Senator [[Orrin G. Hatch]], Republican of Utah, publicly said that he had urged Obama to nominate Garland as "a consensus nominee" who would win Senate confirmation.<ref name="ShearHarris"/><eod>
<sod>Garland was widely seen as a leading contender for a nomination to the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] in the [[Barack Obama]] administration following the announced retirement of [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States|Justice]] [[John Paul Stevens]] in 2010.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-stevens-thumbs10-2010apr10,0,6242118.story | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Profiles of three possible successors to Justice John Paul Stevens | date=April 10, 2010 | accessdate=May 12, 2010}}</ref><ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=9740077 White House Prepares for Possibility of 2 Supreme Court Vacancies], ABC News February 4, 2010</ref><ref>Jess Bravin, [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703894304575047603606503576.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_us Democrats Divide on Voice of Possible Top-Court Pick] ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' (February 8, 2010)</ref> In 2010, Obama interviewed Garland for a Supreme Court vacancy ultimately filled by [[Elena Kagan]].<ref name="ShearHarris">{{Cite newspaper|first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |first2=Gardiner | last2=Harris |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/17/us/politics/obama-supreme-court-nominee.html|title=Obama to Nominate Merrick Garland to Supreme Court|date=March 16, 2016|website=The New York Times|access-date=March 16, 2016}}</ref> At the time, Senator [[Orrin G. Hatch]], Republican of Utah, publicly said that he had urged Obama to nominate Garland as "a consensus nominee" who would win Senate confirmation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-hatch-idUSTRE6456QY20100506|title=Republican would back Garland for Supreme Court|date=May 6, 2010|agency=Reuters|access-date=March 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Burr |first=Thomas |date=2016-03-16 |title="White House notes Hatch called Supreme Court nominee a 'consensus' pick in 2010" |url=http://www.sltrib.com/home/3670228-155/white-house-notes-hatch-called-supreme |newspaper=Salt Lake Tribune |location=Salt Lake City |access-date=2016-03-16}}</ref><eod>