Court nominee was top student at Illinois high school

SKOKIE, Ill. (AP) - President Barack Obama's U.S. Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland was born in Chicago and while in high school in nearby Skokie was a "brilliant" student who excelled in everything from theater to debating.

The Niles West High School's I970 yearbook shows Garland took part in a host of activities and received a number of honors by the time he graduated.

He was president of the student council his senior year after serving as vice president his junior year. He was named a member of the National Honor Society and named an Illinois State Scholar.

Fellow student Steve Fenchel - who is now a dentist - says that despite Garland's obvious intelligence and success it was "impossible not to like him" because he was so gracious and willing to mentor others.