H-1B Visa Attorney Jobs
Attorney roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations because they require a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or equivalent foreign law degree plus bar admission. Corporate law firms, in-house legal departments, and government contractors all sponsor H-1B petitions for attorneys, and the visa carries no annual cap exemption, so timing your job search around the April lottery filing window matters.
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Get Access To All JobsCompany Description
Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt (PEX) position; individuals who are appointed to Exempt Positions are appointed at the pleasure of their appointing officer and are considered to be "at-will."
Application Opening: September 18, 2026
Application Deadline: Continuous, earliest close 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 2, 2026
Compensation Range: $158,548 - $277,810
Recruitment ID: RTF0167143-01097721
The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is looking for a qualified and motivated complex commercial litigator to join its office.
About The Office
The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is an innovative, nationally-recognized municipal law office working to protect and advance the rights and interests of the City and County of San Francisco and its residents. With nearly 350 talented and dedicated employees, the Office provides exceptional legal services to the City’s Mayor, Board of Supervisors, officials, and departments. Our work empowers City leaders with effective, responsive, and creative legal solutions and representation so they can deliver critical public services, and our affirmative advocacy enhances the lives and wellbeing of San Francisco’s residents and visitors. The Office recognizes that diversity in the backgrounds, identities, and experiences of our employees enriches our workplace and enhances our work. We aspire to recruit, employ, retain, and promote talented individuals representing the full spectrum of our community, and welcome all candidates, including candidates of any race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and age, and candidates with disabilities. We have a clear vision: to be the place where a diverse mix of people want to come and stay, grow professionally, and find purpose and engagement, and where all employees feel welcomed and respected, and valued for their work and contributions to the Office and the City. The Office provides a hybrid work schedule for eligible employees.
Job Description
About the Position
This position would be part of the Tax Team. Litigators on the Tax Team work primarily on defending the City in tax refund lawsuits. Issues litigated in these cases include federal and state constitutional doctrines (e.g., Commerce, Due Process, and Equal Protection Clauses, state preemption of city taxing power); valuation of taxable and nontaxable property; interpreting complex federal, state, and local laws and regulations; and the application of the City’s taxes to the diverse and emerging industries comprising San Francisco’s business community. Amounts in dispute range from the tens of thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars. Experience with state or local tax matters is not required as litigators on the Tax Team benefit from the subject matter expertise of the Team’s advice attorneys and collaborate with auditors and appraisers in the Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector and the Office of the Assessor-Recorder.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
* Licensed to practice law in California.
Desired Qualifications
Five or ideally more years of civil litigation experience.
Experience with complex litigation, ideally litigation involving financial transactions or financial issues (for example, business litigation).
Experience with litigation involving constitutional issues and/or statutory interpretation issues.
Experience with complex motion practice and/or appeals.
Ability to assume a high degree of responsibility quickly, work both independently and collaboratively, and identify and assess substantive and procedural legal issues.
Ability to work effectively and efficiently, meet multiple competing deadlines, manage workload changes, and dive into new assignments quickly.
Excellent written and oral communication and advocacy skills.
Ability to manage, investigate, and litigate multiple matters.
Ability to handle all phases of litigation, including written discovery, depositions, motion practice, settlement negotiations, non-jury trials, and appeals.
Experience handling court appearances and oral argument.
Familiarity with California civil procedure and San Francisco local rules.
Experience with e-discovery.
Demonstrated interest, comfort, and good working knowledge of sophisticated document review tools.
Ability to work effectively with paralegals, legal assistants, investigators, and other colleagues.
Ability to exercise excellent judgment, adapt to changes, and be curious.
Excellent interpersonal skills and a positive attitude.
Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.
Interest and ability to work successfully as part of a team.
Verification
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements.
Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco. All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.
Selection Procedures
The selection process will include evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to the interview. Depending on the number of applicants, the Department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate the qualifications of candidates. If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the Department will be invited to participate in the oral/performance interview.
Additional Information
Salary And Benefits
The Deputy City Attorney position has a 16-step salary scale ranging from $158,548-$277,810. The successful applicant is appointed to a salary step based on years of experience as a lawyer. The City offers robust health, retirement and other benefits.
Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:
Information About the Hiring Process
Conviction History
Employee Benefits Overview
Equal Employment Opportunity
Disaster Service Worker
ADA Accommodation
Right to Work
Copies of Application Documents
* Diversity Statement
How To Apply
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.sf.gov/ and begin the application process.
Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen
Make sure to include your CA Bar Number in the education section on your application
* Upload a Cover Letter and a Resume
Applicants who advance in the selection process must submit three references (at least one from a supervisor) and one writing sample. Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfcityatty.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com). Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records.
Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.
Human Resources Analyst Information:
If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please send your inquiries to Asa Nojd, Human Resources Analyst, at asa.nojd@sfcityatty.org.
The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.
Company Description
Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt (PEX) position; individuals who are appointed to Exempt Positions are appointed at the pleasure of their appointing officer and are considered to be "at-will."
Application Opening: September 18, 2026
Application Deadline: Continuous, earliest close 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 2, 2026
Compensation Range: $158,548 - $277,810
Recruitment ID: RTF0167143-01097721
The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is looking for a qualified and motivated complex commercial litigator to join its office.
About The Office
The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is an innovative, nationally-recognized municipal law office working to protect and advance the rights and interests of the City and County of San Francisco and its residents. With nearly 350 talented and dedicated employees, the Office provides exceptional legal services to the City’s Mayor, Board of Supervisors, officials, and departments. Our work empowers City leaders with effective, responsive, and creative legal solutions and representation so they can deliver critical public services, and our affirmative advocacy enhances the lives and wellbeing of San Francisco’s residents and visitors. The Office recognizes that diversity in the backgrounds, identities, and experiences of our employees enriches our workplace and enhances our work. We aspire to recruit, employ, retain, and promote talented individuals representing the full spectrum of our community, and welcome all candidates, including candidates of any race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and age, and candidates with disabilities. We have a clear vision: to be the place where a diverse mix of people want to come and stay, grow professionally, and find purpose and engagement, and where all employees feel welcomed and respected, and valued for their work and contributions to the Office and the City. The Office provides a hybrid work schedule for eligible employees.
Job Description
About the Position
This position would be part of the Tax Team. Litigators on the Tax Team work primarily on defending the City in tax refund lawsuits. Issues litigated in these cases include federal and state constitutional doctrines (e.g., Commerce, Due Process, and Equal Protection Clauses, state preemption of city taxing power); valuation of taxable and nontaxable property; interpreting complex federal, state, and local laws and regulations; and the application of the City’s taxes to the diverse and emerging industries comprising San Francisco’s business community. Amounts in dispute range from the tens of thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars. Experience with state or local tax matters is not required as litigators on the Tax Team benefit from the subject matter expertise of the Team’s advice attorneys and collaborate with auditors and appraisers in the Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector and the Office of the Assessor-Recorder.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
* Licensed to practice law in California.
Desired Qualifications
Five or ideally more years of civil litigation experience.
Experience with complex litigation, ideally litigation involving financial transactions or financial issues (for example, business litigation).
Experience with litigation involving constitutional issues and/or statutory interpretation issues.
Experience with complex motion practice and/or appeals.
Ability to assume a high degree of responsibility quickly, work both independently and collaboratively, and identify and assess substantive and procedural legal issues.
Ability to work effectively and efficiently, meet multiple competing deadlines, manage workload changes, and dive into new assignments quickly.
Excellent written and oral communication and advocacy skills.
Ability to manage, investigate, and litigate multiple matters.
Ability to handle all phases of litigation, including written discovery, depositions, motion practice, settlement negotiations, non-jury trials, and appeals.
Experience handling court appearances and oral argument.
Familiarity with California civil procedure and San Francisco local rules.
Experience with e-discovery.
Demonstrated interest, comfort, and good working knowledge of sophisticated document review tools.
Ability to work effectively with paralegals, legal assistants, investigators, and other colleagues.
Ability to exercise excellent judgment, adapt to changes, and be curious.
Excellent interpersonal skills and a positive attitude.
Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.
Interest and ability to work successfully as part of a team.
Verification
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements.
Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco. All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.
Selection Procedures
The selection process will include evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to the interview. Depending on the number of applicants, the Department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate the qualifications of candidates. If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the Department will be invited to participate in the oral/performance interview.
Additional Information
Salary And Benefits
The Deputy City Attorney position has a 16-step salary scale ranging from $158,548-$277,810. The successful applicant is appointed to a salary step based on years of experience as a lawyer. The City offers robust health, retirement and other benefits.
Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:
Information About the Hiring Process
Conviction History
Employee Benefits Overview
Equal Employment Opportunity
Disaster Service Worker
ADA Accommodation
Right to Work
Copies of Application Documents
* Diversity Statement
How To Apply
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.sf.gov/ and begin the application process.
Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen
Make sure to include your CA Bar Number in the education section on your application
* Upload a Cover Letter and a Resume
Applicants who advance in the selection process must submit three references (at least one from a supervisor) and one writing sample. Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfcityatty.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com). Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records.
Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.
Human Resources Analyst Information:
If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please send your inquiries to Asa Nojd, Human Resources Analyst, at asa.nojd@sfcityatty.org.
The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.
See all 957+ H-1B Visa Attorney Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new H-1B Visa Attorney Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship as an Attorney
Verify your foreign law degree equivalency
If you earned your law degree outside the U.S., get a credential evaluation from a NACES-member service before applying. USCIS requires proof your degree is equivalent to a U.S. J.D. to satisfy the specialty occupation standard.
Target employers with dedicated immigration counsel
Large law firms and Fortune 500 legal departments file H-1B petitions routinely and have internal processes for it. Smaller firms without in-house immigration counsel often decline sponsorship not from unwillingness but from unfamiliarity with the filing mechanics.
Check LCA filings for attorney-specific wage levels
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up prevailing wages under SOC code 23-1011 before your offer stage. Knowing the Level I through IV wage tiers helps you negotiate a salary your employer can certify on the LCA without triggering a compliance issue.
Search verified H-1B sponsors on Migrate Mate
Filter Attorney roles by employers with confirmed H-1B filing history on Migrate Mate. This cuts out firms that list J.D. requirements but have never sponsored a visa, saving you application cycles on non-starters.
Register for the lottery by late March each year
H-1B cap-subject attorney roles require your employer to submit a registration during USCIS's March window for an October 1 start date. Missing this window means waiting a full year unless you find a cap-exempt employer such as a university legal office or nonprofit.
Clarify bar admission requirements before the offer
Some attorney H-1B petitions are filed for specific state practice, and USCIS scrutinizes whether the offered role requires admission in that jurisdiction. Confirm with the employer whether the position requires active bar admission and in which state before accepting.
H-1B Visa Attorney: Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Attorney role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes. USCIS classifies Attorney positions under SOC code 23-1011 as specialty occupations because they normally require a minimum of a J.D. or equivalent foreign law degree. The degree requirement must be directly related to the duties of the specific role, so a general counsel position at a tech company qualifies just as a litigation associate role at a law firm does.
Can a foreign-trained lawyer get H-1B sponsorship without a U.S. law degree?
Yes, but the path is narrower. USCIS accepts a foreign law degree if a credential evaluation confirms it is equivalent to a U.S. J.D. Additionally, some attorney roles require bar admission, and most U.S. states limit bar eligibility for foreign-trained lawyers to specific pathways such as the California or New York foreign attorney bar exam rules. Confirm bar eligibility in the relevant state before pursuing sponsorship.
Which types of employers most commonly sponsor H-1B visas for attorneys?
Corporate law firms, in-house legal departments at large corporations, government contractors, and financial institutions are the most active H-1B sponsors for attorney roles. Universities and nonprofits are cap-exempt employers, meaning their H-1B petitions are not subject to the annual lottery. You can find employers with verified H-1B filing history for attorney positions on Migrate Mate.
What is the H-1B prevailing wage for Attorney roles and how is it determined?
DOL sets prevailing wages for attorneys using wage survey data tied to SOC code 23-1011 and geographic location. Wages are broken into four levels based on experience and supervision. Your employer must certify on the LCA that your offered salary meets or exceeds the applicable level wage. You can look up the specific wage floor for any metro area using the OFLC Wage Search before your offer negotiation.
Can an attorney on H-1B work at multiple law firms or handle outside clients?
H-1B status is employer-specific, so you're authorized to work only for the petitioning employer. Working at a second firm or taking on outside clients generally requires a concurrent H-1B petition filed by that second employer. Unauthorized work outside your petition scope is a status violation, so any arrangement involving multiple employers needs separate USCIS filings before work begins.