A senior administration source told CNN that there have been no in-person meetings between candidates and White House staff as yet, and that some interactions with staff are likely to be over the phone.
Daily strategy meetings inside the West Wing are also underway as Biden has spent several evenings in the residence reviewing binders related to past cases of potential picks.
On Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden is reviewing information on his potential nominees.
“As he’s looking at the process, he’s reviewing not just bios, but he’s also reviewing cases and he is looking at binders of cases, because he is … taking this approach very seriously. He’s taking a very thorough approach to it,” she said during a press briefing.
“Vetting documents” and “engagement with individuals” are also part of the process, Psaki said, but declined to get into further specifics. She did say that Biden would be interviewing candidates “later in the process,” noting that that typically takes place at “the very end of the process.”
Biden remains “on track to announce a nominee by the end of the month,” Psaki said Tuesday.
The process of selecting a Supreme Court justice historically involves a significant amount of vetting and interviews at the staff and presidential level.
Jones began work at the White House on Tuesday, two officials told CNN, as the search to fill the vacancy kicks into high gear.
He will work in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for the next several weeks and then, once the pick is announced, will be responsible for arranging meetings with senators and helping prepare for confirmation hearings.
Other outsider advisers are also expected to start this week if they haven’t already, an official said.
Minyon Moore, a veteran Democratic strategist and political director for former President Bill Clinton, will lead the efforts to activate outside advocacy groups in support of the nominee. Ben LaBolt, a former spokesman for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and in the White House, will lead outside communications efforts.
“What the President’s been focused on over the course of the last several days is reviewing and consulting with internal team members on a large — a group — of qualified nominees,” Psaki said at Monday’s press briefing.
She continued, “After last week’s meeting with Chairman Durbin and Ranking Member Grassley, the President, Vice President and their senior teams, including White House counsel Dana Remus, have also spoken to a range of additional members of Congress and outside legal experts and that engagement will continue.”