The Deputy General Counsel (International Affairs) provides legal advice to the Under Secretary of Defense (Policy); the Principal Deputy Under Secretary; the Assistant Secretaries for International Security Affairs; Asian and Pacific Security Affairs; Homeland Defense and Global Security; Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities; and Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict; and the Arms Control Compliance Review Group (Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology).

The Deputy General Counsel (International Affairs) is responsible for providing legal advice on Department of Defense planning and conduct of military operations in the ongoing armed conflict with al-Qaida, the Taliban, and associated forces, and against ISIL in Iraq and Syria, including the law of armed conflict and war crimes, war powers, coalition relations and assistance, and activities of U.S. forces under international law and relevant UN Security Council Resolutions; arms control negotiations and implementation, non-proliferation, and cooperative threat reduction; status of forces agreements; defense trade/export controls and international cooperative programs; international litigation; law of outer space; multilateral agreements; and homeland defense/support for civil authorities.