Virginia Leary, lawyer, professor, human rights activist passes away in Geneva, Switzerland

Virginia Leary

Professor Emerita Virginia Leary, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor at the University at Buffalo Law School, passed away April 8, 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland, where she had lived since retiring from UB Law in 1995. Apparently, Professor Leary suffered a heart attack. Professor Leary was a beloved member of the Law School and the University at Buffalo, where she taught for 19 years.

Professor 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 long 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. Professor Leary, who consulted extensively for NGOs and intergovernmental organizations, including the United Nations, was one of the first women to attain universal recognition in international law. Her work as a scholar and practitioner in labor rights and economic, social and cultural rights was exemplary.

Even in retirement from UB Law, Professor Leary never lost touch with this law school. She repeatedly came back to visit. She helped mentor UB Law students in human rights. Professor Leary was the UB Law Commencement Speaker in 2004.

A discussion forum is availble in Facebook and LinkedIn for those who wish to share their memories of Professor Leary. Please note that you will need an account in either Facebook or LinkedIn to participate, but the services are free.

Says Makau Mutua, Dean of the University at Buffalo Law School, "For me, the loss is very personal, as I am sure it is for her colleagues here.

"When I came to UB Law in 1996 to teach international law and human rights, she offered me invaluable advice and assistance. We kept in touch over the years, and her wise counsel to me was priceless.

"We have lost a giant in human rights and international law, but her legacy and contributions to the field and to the most vulnerable peoples on earth will live on."

From IntLawGrrls Blog (posted April 2008):

About Virginia Leary

Lawyer and professor. A former Vice-President of the American Society of International Law, Virginia Leary earned her J.D. degree from the University of Chicago, a doctoral degree from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, and the diploma of the Hague Academy of International Law.

After working for an international women's organization in Geneva, the Intercultural Cooperation Association, she worked for the International Labour Organization until joining the faculty of the University at Buffalo Law School and then the University of California-Hastings. Now that she is retired from full-time teaching and living in Geneva, she serves on the Advisory Board of the Program for the Study of International Organizations at the University of Geneva's Graduate Institute of International Studies, where she recently directed a project on the social aspects of trade liberalization.

Lawyer-Activist. Virginia Leary was a founding member of the Geneva-based International Council for Human Rights Policy, whose studies and reports I consider among the most useful work produced by a human rights organization. She has undertaken human rights missions on behalf of Amnesty International, the International Commission of Jurists, and Human Rights Watch, and has been a consultant to the World Health Organization and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. She serves on the Boards of several organizations, including the Centre on Housing and Evictions (COHRE), Human Rights Advocates, and the International Labor Rights Forum, and previously served on the Board of Human Rights Watch Asia.

Scholar. A prolific scholar, she has written books, book chapters and articles on international labor law, workers' rights, the right to health, child labor issues, and international trade and human rights. She recently co-edited the book Social Issues, Globalization and International Institution: Labour Rights and the EU, ILO, OECD and WTO.

Mentor and role model. Virginia Leary's contribution to human rights also includes mentoring countless women and men in international human rights the world over, a role she has undertaken with care and energy reminiscent of Goler Teal Butcher.