Second year law student Brandy Rutan (LAW ’02) died Feb. 22 due to complications with her heart medicine, Georgetown Law Center Associate Dean Wendy Perdue said.

Law Professor Richard Roe taught and employed Rutan for two semesters as a research assistant and had only praises for her commitment to her work. Roe said he hired Rutan as his research assistant, and he was pleased with her dedication. “She gave whatever you asked of her,” he said.

Rutan was an active participant in various Law Center programs while at Georgetown, including the Street Law program, Perdue said. She was also a peer advisor, helping incoming students ease the transition into the law school experience. Peer advisors participate in a training program and are then assigned to groups of first year law students to share experiences at the beginning of the academic year.

In her spare time Rutan had been working as a volunteer teacher, spending this spring semester teaching illiterate homeless families how to read, through the Literacy and Law program. She also read to children in a local housing project on a regular basis.

The Street Law Program at the law center assigned Rutan to teach high school students at Wilson High School near downtown Washington, D.C. about law. Considered one of the country’s premier programs, it has been one of the nation’s prototypes for Street Law.

“She never complained about her students,” Roe said. “She taught fabulous lessons and was a wonderful person in every respect.”

Rutan came to Georgetown from Rosharon, Texas, where her family lives. Relatives could not be reached for comment at press time.

According to Roe, Rutan was popular and well liked among her peers.

“It is a terrible loss,” Roe said. “She was one of the best.”