DIILS serves as the DoD lead agency for providing professional legal seminars and programs, as well as education and training, to international military members and civilian government officials in furtherance of U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives. DIILS fosters close ties with U.S. international partners and allies, leading professional courses, workshops, and seminars, both in the U.S. and outside the US in locations worldwide, providing forums for discourse and the exchange of ideas between military and civilian professionals. Focused on enhancing the Rule of Law, DIILS was founded on these cornerstones:

• Internationally recognized principles of human rights and humanitarian law;
• Fostering disciplined military operations through the review, revision, and/or reorganization of legal aspects of various military systems, from legally-related regulations through legislation;
• Respect for and understanding of the principle of civilian control of the military; and
• Recognition and respect for the full spectrum of rule of law principles. DIILS works with the U.S., DoS, DoD, the Combatant Commands, and other agencies as appropriate, to implement national strategic goals, through the delivery of programs to countries worldwide.

DIILS is currently a reimbursable organization funded under a number of broader programs, including international military education training (IMET); programs under the Combating Terrorism Fellowship Program (CTFP), Warsaw Initiative Fund (WIF), and Peacekeeping Operations (PKO), as well as various COCOM funding authorities. An example of another new program area added in FY 08 is the legal training mandated by Congress under the 1206 program. DIILS is aligned under the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, but also receives direct oversight of the substantive legal programs it delivers from the DoD Office of General Counsel via a policy council consisting primarily of the top military and civilian lawyers from each of the Services.