Welcome to the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies
About Us
The DIILS motto is "justitia per orbem terrarum", which means "justice for all the earth."
- Defense Institute of International Legal Studies - DIILS - is a Defense Department organization that plans and executes professional legal education and international engagement focused on human rights, international humanitarian law, and the law of armed conflict. DIILS is a component of the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) and directly supports the Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s (DSCA) mission of advancing US national security and foreign policy interests by building the capacity of foreign security forces to respond to shared challenges.
- Plans and executes professional legal education and international engagement focused on human rights, international humanitarian law, and the law of armed conflict.
- One of several Defense resources that support the conduct of U.S. foreign policy through security cooperation.
- Annually conducts more than 100 educational events all over the world! DIILS staff military lawyers, called JAGs or Judge Advocates, travel to partner nations to conduct courses, seminars and workshops for international military officers, legal advisors, and defense-sector civilians. DIILS offers nine resident courses for international military officers and civilians at in Newport, RI.
Fast Facts
Latest News
DIILS Engages with Thailand
December 4, 2024
A team from the Defense Security Cooperation University's Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) recently traveled to Thailand. The DIILS team met with maritime security professionals from the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordination Center (Thai MECC) as part of an ongoing maritime security cooperation effort.
DIILS Partners with Latvia
November 27, 2024
A team from the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) recently traveled to Latvia to conduct an executive seminar on Human Rights and the Law of Armed Conflict with members of their military.
DIILS Partners With Nigeria
November 13, 2024
A team from DSCU’s Defense Institute of International Legal Studies recently traveled to Nigeria to meet with members of the Nigerian Navy as part of an ongoing Security Cooperation effort.
DIILS Engages with the Federated States of Micronesia
October 16, 2024
A team from the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) recently traveled to the Federated States of Micronesia to conduct an executive seminar on Human Rights and the Law of Armed Conflict with government officials.
DIILS Partners with the Philippines
September 26, 2024
A team from the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) recently traveled to the Philippines. The engagement continued ongoing security cooperation work with supporting maritime agencies of the Philippines National Maritime Center.
DIILS Resident Course Graduates 38 International Participants
September 20, 2024
Thirty-eight international participants representing twenty-three countries recently graduated the Legal Aspects of Defense Support of Civil Authorities (LADSCA) course presented by the Defense Security Cooperation University’s Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS).
DIILS Reunites with Alumni
September 9, 2024
COL Elizabeth "Liz" Allen, Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) Director, and other DIILS colleagues were pleased to meet up with many former DIILS Resident Course alumni at the African Military Law Forum in Zambia last month. African Military Law Forum.
DIILS Partners with Ghana
August 26, 2024
Last month, a DIILS team traveled to Ghana to conduct a three day human rights and law of armed conflict executive seminar with members of the Ghanaian military and other government agencies.
DIILS and Ukraine Partner to Deliver Operational Law Course
August 13, 2024
The Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) and legal colleagues from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (MOD) recently partnered to conduct a two-week proof of concept training course on operational law. The course was specifically tailored to train Ukrainian legal advisors providing operational law guidance to battlefield commanders.
DIILS Partners with Vietnam
August 7, 2024
In June, a DIILS team traveled to Vietnam to conduct a two day human rights and law of armed conflict executive seminar with members of the Vietnamese military and other government ministries.
Congratulations to the 2024 Cyber Law and Hybrid Warfare Class
August 6, 2024
DIILS graduated thirty-eight students from the 2024 Cyber Law and Hybrid Warfare course. Countries represented were Austria, Belize, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Fiji, Ghana, Honduras, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Slovak Republic, Malaysia, Morocco, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Slovenia, Tanzania, Trinidad-Tobago, Thailand, Taiwan, and Zambia.
DIILS Engages with the Philippines
July 23, 2024
A DIILS team recently traveled to the Philippines to conduct seminars on Human Rights and the Law of Armed Conflict with members of that country's military.
DIILS Partners with Bosnia and Herzegovina
July 15, 2024
A team from the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) recently traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina to conduct a seminar on Human Rights and the Law of Armed Conflict with members of their military.
DIILS Partners with the Dominican Republic
June 18, 2024
A team from the Defense Security Cooperation University’s Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) recently traveled to the Dominican Republic to meet with members of their military and government as part of an ongoing Security Cooperation program.
DIILS Partners with Thailand
June 13, 2024
A Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) team recently traveled to Thailand to conduct a seminar on Human Rights and the Law of Armed Conflict with members of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center.