His essay "The Bush Doctrine of Preemption under President Obama" was prompted by studying the Preemption Doctrine in Professor Valerie Epps' class on The Laws of War. Epps states that she provided minimal guidance. "Dan is such a good author and careful researcher that I had very few suggestions. It was his own idea to enter the competition." She said. "He is a remarkable student who always does far more than is required of him. He has been a superb member of the Jessup International Moot Court Team and outstanding President of the International Law Society."

As for Ryan, he hopes his essay “...will contribute to the dialogue on the use of preemptive force under international law."

The win netted Ryan $1000 and a trip to the ABA Section of International Law 2009 Spring Meeting in Washington, D.C. His essay will also be published in the summer edition of the International Law News and on the ABA Student Headquarters website.

Ryan is president of the International Law Society at Suffolk Law and a member of the Transnational Law Review and the Jessup International Moot Court Team. Prior to attending Suffolk Law, Ryan helped coordinate humanitarian relief and reconstruction programs in Darfur, Afghanistan, and Pakistan; he hopes to return to the field of humanitarian protection and assistance after graduation.