Since its founding as part of Georgetown University in 1955, the ILI has provided training and technical assistance to find practical solutions to the legal, economic and financial problems of developing countries — training over 14,000 officials, managers, and practitioners from more than 185 countries since its first seminar in 1971. Since 1983, ILI has been an independent, non-profit educational institution serving an international constituency of government officials, legal and business professionals and scholars from its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

ILI is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has regional centers in Kampala, Uganda, Abuja, Nigeria, Cairo, Egypt, Santiago, Chile and Hong Kong, SAR - its newest center. ILI''s training and technical assistance programs are conducted by adjunct faculty and advisors, a body of over 500 professionals of all nationalities from government, academia, multilateral organizations, and the private sector.

ILI’s mission is to raise levels of professional competence and capacity in all nations so that professionals everywhere may achieve practical solutions to common problems in ways that suit their nations’ own needs. In working to fulfill that mission, ILI activities have grown from pure research to practical training and education in Washington, its regional campuses, and elsewhere; advising governments and private entities internationally; and publishing.