Ryan Watson has more than 15 years of experience focusing on appellate litigation and high-stakes cases that challenge regulatory actions. Ryan has argued in the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Courts of Appeals, and federal district court. His cases often involve constitutional law, statutory interpretation, and administrative law.
Ryan, a former law clerk to Justice Samuel Alito, has successfully briefed cases in the Supreme Court of the United States and has co-written influential amicus briefs. He also has presented oral argument at all levels of the federal courts, including the Supreme Court.
Ryan frequently works on litigation involving federal regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and he also develops creative legal strategies and comment submissions to regulatory agencies. Ryan has handled numerous oral arguments in a challenge to FDA's rule that would require large graphic warnings with disturbing images on cigarette packages. Additionally, he helped to obtain an appellate ruling that stayed an FDA marketing denial order and to persuade another court to invalidate FDA's pre-approval requirements for many changes to labels and brand names.
Ryan also served as principal brief-writer in a successful appeal involving novel technology issues and foreign sovereign immunity, helped Michael Jackson's estate prevail on appeal, and provided appellate representation to immigrants fleeing persecution.
Ryan speaks about the Supreme Court, moots advocates for Supreme Court cases, serves on the Messiah University Law Professionals Council, and previously served as an adjunct professor at The George Washington University Law School.
- The George Washington University (J.D. with highest honors 2007; Order of the Coif; Notes Editor, The George Washington Law Review; Winner, Best Overall Competitor & Best Brief, George Washington International Law Moot Court Competition; Presidential Merit Scholar; Recipient, Willard Waddington Gatchell Award); Messiah University (B.S. in Economics summa cum laude 2002; Outstanding Achievement in Economics Award)
- District of Columbia; Maryland; U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Courts of Appeals for the D.C., Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits
- Law Clerk to Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., U.S. Supreme Court (2012-2013) and to Judge Janice Rogers Brown, U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit (2007-2008)