A DIILS team recently traveled to Peru to conduct a seminar on Human Rights and the Law of Armed Conflict with members of the Peruvian military.

A DIILS team recently traveled to Ecuador to meet with members of their military as part of an ongoing security cooperation program.

A Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) team recently traveled to Kazakhstan to conduct a seminar on Human Rights and the Law of Armed Conflict with members of Kazakhstan’s military. DIILS is the provider of choice for Rule of Law seminars focused on International Human Rights, the Law of Armed Conflict (also called International Humanitarian Law), and civilian control of the military. These seminars typically involve up to 16 hours of training, plus time for administrative functions, and are typically completed over the course of three days.

As a component of the Defense Security Cooperation University, DIILS advances U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by building the legal capacity of Partner Nations to respond to shared security challenges in a responsible, accountable, and legally compliant manner through activities that promote the rule of law, enhance compliance with human rights and international humanitarian law, and support effective and responsible democratic governance.

DSCU’s president, Dr. Celeste W. Gventer, hosted a consultative session March, 24, 2023, during which Security Cooperation stakeholders and scholars brainstormed ideas for the potential scope and themes of the 2023 Security Cooperation Conference. The discussion included a review of the results from the 2022 Security Cooperation Conference Report.

The consultative session deliberated the following questions: What topics should the Security Cooperation community explore? How should the scope and approach to the conference evolve? How can we best elicit continued dialogue and action following the conference? Results from this consultative session will inform the concept and planning for the 2023 Security Cooperation Conference scheduled to take place in October.

The 2022 Security Cooperation Conference, co-hosted by (DSCU) and The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, brought together approximately 130 Security Cooperation experts from across the policy, practitioner, and academic communities. The conference examined the state of Security Cooperation today; the implications of recent global security trends and demands on the Security Cooperation enterprise; and whether, and how, the Department of Defense should adjust its approach to Security Cooperation in the future. The dialogue generated new thinking on frameworks, innovative approaches, and key challenges.

For more information, or to reach out with questions, please contact DSCU: dsca.ncr.dscu.mbx.conference@mail.mil

CAPT Ian Wexler, Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) Director, led a DIILS team in a recent meeting with lawyers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The Institutional Capacity Building engagement was a vibrant discussion on the law of armed conflict in the context of the current conflict as part of AFU efforts to review, improve, and standardize its training for the whole force. Additional topics discussed included the role of legal advice provided to commanders and other operational staff with respect to operational planning, cultural property protection, and targeting and collateral damage estimation.

The Defense Security Cooperation University’s DIILS advances U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by building the capacity of foreign security forces to respond to shared security challenges in a responsible, accountable, and legally compliant manner.

A Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) team recently traveled to Bahrain to meet with members of its military as part of an ongoing Security Cooperation program..

For over 30 years, DIILS located in Newport, R. I., has been the lead U.S. Department of Defense Security Cooperation resource for global legal engagement with Partner Nation security sector institutions and personnel. As a component of DSCU, DIILS’ broad mission is to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by building the capacity of foreign security forces to respond to shared security challenges in a responsible, accountable, and legally compliant manner.

A team from the Defense Security Cooperation University’s (DSCU) Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) recently traveled to Morocco to meet with members of the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces as part of an ongoing Security Cooperation program.

Morocco was among the very first countries in the world to recognize the sovereignty of the United States through a treaty of peace and friendship in 1786. This treaty remains the longest unbroken bilateral treaty in U.S. history.

For more than 30 years, DIILS, located in Newport, Rhode Island, has been the lead U.S. Department of Defense Security Cooperation resource for global legal engagement with Partner Nation security sector institutions and personnel. As a component of DSCU, DIILS broad mission is to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by building the capacity of foreign security forces to respond to shared security challenges in a responsible, accountable, and legally compliant manner.

A team from the Defense Security Cooperation University’s (DSCU) Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) recently traveled to Lebanon to meet with members of the Lebanese Navy as part of an ongoing Security Cooperation program.

Since its inception in 1992 as the international training detachment at the Naval Justice School, and subsequent transfer to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency in 2000, DIILS has provided legal Security Cooperation programming for more than 78,000 international military and civilian participants from more than 180 countries. DIILS is jointly staffed with Judge Advocates from each branch of the U.S. armed forces, as well as a cadre of experienced Department of Defense civilian attorneys and support personnel.

NEWPORT, R. I. – The Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) celebrated the distinguished career of Captain Ian S. Wexler, Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAGC), United States Navy (USN), during a retirement ceremony on Naval Station Newport June 23, 2023. Dr. Celeste W. Gventer, President of the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU), presided over the ceremony, honoring CAPT Wexler’s nearly 25 years of exemplary service to the Nation, on behalf of the Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). CAPT Shane Cooper, JAGC, USN (ret.) served as the guest speaker.

During the ceremony, Dr. Gventer, CAPT Cooper and those in attendance thanked CAPT Wexler for his dedicated service to the Nation and wished him Fair Winds and Following Seas in his retirement.

CAPT Wexler, a graduate of Rutgers University and the University of Richmond Law School, served for four years as the 13th Director of the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS). Under CAPT Wexler’s leadership, DIILS continued to thrive through a highly dynamic period, sustaining global mission execution during the substantial constraints of the Covid-19 pandemic. Among many other changes, he guided DIILS through significant growth and transition, including adding Legal Institutional Capacity Building (ICB) as a major mission element, significant staff growth to meet the expanded demand for DIILS security cooperation programs, integration into DSCU, and the start of renovation of the DIILS Education Center.

A native of Highland Park, New Jersey, CAPT Wexler started his naval career in 1997, when he was commissioned in the Navy JAGC Student Program. He completed US Navy Officer Indoctrination School in 1998 and Initial Naval Justice School Judge Advocate Training in 1999. His subsequent shore assignments include: Prosecutor, Trial Service Office West in San Diego, California; Staff Judge Advocate and Special Assistant United States Attorney at Naval Weapons Station Earle, Colts Neck, New Jersey; Instructor and Military Justice Department Head at Naval Justice School, Newport, Rhode Island; Senior Prosecutor, Navy Region Commander Submarine Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Chief of Operational Law at US Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

CAPT Wexler also completed three overseas deployments during his career. He first deployed as the Executive Officer of the Military Liaison Office assigned to the Central Criminal Court of Iraq. On his second Iraq deployment, CAPT Wexler was detailed as the Director of the Law and Order Task Force primarily based at Forward Operating Base Shield in Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq. Finally, CAPT Wexler deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as the Staff Judge Advocate for Joint Task Force – Guantanamo.

DSCA’s mission is to advance U.S. defense and foreign policy interests by building the capacity of foreign partners in order to encourage and enable allies and partners to respond to shared challenges. DSCU is one of five directorates reporting to the Director of DSCA. DSCU’s mission is to advance the knowledge and practice of Security Cooperation through the education, training, and development of the U.S. Security Cooperation workforce and through the education, training, and institutional capacity building of partner nations; and to produce research, analysis, and lessons learned that expand the intellectual foundations of Security Cooperation.

Since its inception in 1992 as the international training detachment at the Naval Justice School, and subsequent transfers to DSCA in 2000, and DSCU in 2021, DIILS has provided legal Security Cooperation programming for more than 78,000 international military and civilian participants from more than 180 countries. DIILS is jointly staffed with Judge Advocates from each branch of the U.S. armed forces, as well as a cadre of experienced Department of Defense civilian attorneys and support personnel.

A team from DSCU’s Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) recently traveled to Somalia to meet with members of its military as part of an ongoing Security Cooperation program.

For more than 30 years, DIILS, located in Newport, Rhode Island, has been the lead U.S. Department of Defense Security Cooperation resource for global legal engagement with Partner Nation security sector institutions and personnel. As a component of DSCU, DIILS broad mission is to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by building the capacity of foreign security forces to respond to shared security challenges in a responsible, accountable, and legally compliant manner.