UB Law School to Host Memorial Service for Virginia Leary, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Human Rights Pioneer

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Oct. 17 for Virginia Leary, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Emerita in the University at Buffalo Law School for 19 years, who died April 8 in Geneva, Switzerland, where she had lived since retiring in 1995.

The service will be held in Room 106, John Lord O'Brian Hall, on UB's North (Amherst) Campus. A reception will follow at 12:30 p.m. in the foyer of O'Brian Hall. Friends are welcome to join the Law School in a celebration of Leary's life and accomplishments.

Leary was a pioneer in teaching and scholarship in human-rights law -- a field in which she put UB Law on the global map. She was a leader in international law and served with distinction on the executive council of the American Society of International Law. She was a visiting professor and frequent lecturer at several universities and conferences around the world. Leary, who consulted extensively for non-government and intergovernmental organizations, including the United Nations, was one of the first women to attain universal recognition in international law.

"We have lost a giant in human-rights and international law," says Makau Mutua, UB Law School dean. "But her legacy and contributions to the field and to the most vulnerable peoples on earth will live on."

For more information on the memorial service or to RSVP, contact Rebecca Donoghue at 716-645-2052 or ray1@buffalo.edu. To make a gift in Leary's honor, please visit http://www.law.buffalo.edu/LearyMemorial.asp.

Since its founding in 1887, the University at Buffalo Law School -- the State University of New York system's only law school -- has established an excellent reputation and is widely regarded as a leader in legal education. Its cutting-edge curriculum provides both a strong theoretical foundation and the practical tools graduates need to succeed in a competitive marketplace, wherever they choose to practice. A special emphasis on interdisciplinary studies, public service and opportunities for hands-on clinical education makes UB Law unique among the nation's premier public law schools.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.