Virginia Leary, a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor emerita at the University at Buffalo Law School, died Wednesday in Geneva, Switzerland, of an apparent heart attack. She was 82.

She taught at UB for 19 years, moving to Geneva upon her retirement in 1995.

"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," reads a statement from UB Law. "She was long a leader in international law and served with distinction on the executive council of the American Society of International Law."

Leary served as a consultant for many nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations, including the United Nations. Her work as a scholar and practitioner in labor rights and economic, social and cultural rights is highly regarded.

"For me, the loss is very personal, as I am sure it is for her colleagues here, UB Law Dean Makau Mutua said in a prepared statement. "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."