OPT Assistant General Counsel Jobs
Assistant General Counsel roles fall squarely within OPT's specialty occupation requirement, as they demand a J.D. and active bar admission. Your 12-month OPT window (or 24-month STEM extension if your law degree qualifies) starts the day you begin work, so timing your bar passage and job search carefully matters.
Find OPT Assistant General Counsel JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 43+ Assistant General Counsel jobs
See all 43+ Assistant General Counsel Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Assistant General Counsel roles.
Get Access To All JobsDescription
About Alvarez & Marsal
Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) is a global consulting firm with entrepreneurial, action and results-oriented professionals. We take a hands-on approach to solving our clients' problems and assisting them in reaching their potential. Our culture celebrates independent thinkers and doers who positively impact our clients and shape our industry. The collaborative environment and engaging work—guided by A&M's core values of Integrity, Quality, Objectivity, Fun, Personal Reward, and Inclusive Diversity—are why our people love working at A&M.
How you will contribute
We are seeking a dynamic Assistant General Counsel to provide legal support for service line commercial matters. Reporting to a senior member of the A&M legal department, this role offers an exciting opportunity to work closely with business leaders and corporate teams, advising on key contractual and risk-related issues in a fast-paced environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of contracts, including client engagement agreements, confidentiality agreements, vendor agreements, and ancillary client-related agreements (e.g., IP and technology).
- Identify and analyze legal and risk-related issues in contracts, providing clear, practical recommendations to internal stakeholders across various divisions.
- Collaborate with legal and corporate teams to drive the contracting process, ensuring efficiency and risk mitigation.
- Provide strategic legal guidance to support business objectives while ensuring adherence to applicable laws and company policies.
Qualifications & Experience
- 3+ years of legal experience; in-house experience is a plus but not required.
- Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
- Active membership in a State Bar (preference for NY).
Key Skills & Attributes
- Strong ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high-quality work.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to present complex legal issues to senior business executives.
- Strong organizational and project management capabilities.
- Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset, with a high level of responsiveness and initiative.
Your journey at A& M
We recognize that our people are the driving force behind our success, which is why we prioritize an employee experience that fosters each person's unique professional and personal development. Our robust performance development process promotes continuous learning, rewards your contributions, and fosters a culture of meritocracy. With top-notch training and on-the-job learning opportunities, you can acquire new skills and advance your career.
We prioritize your well-being, providing benefits and resources to support you on your personal journey. Our people consistently highlight the growth opportunities, our unique, entrepreneurial culture, and the fun we have together as their favorite aspects of working at A&M. The possibilities are endless for high-performing and passionate professionals.
Regular employees working 30 or more hours per week are also entitled to participate in Alvarez & Marsal Holdings' fringe benefits consisting of healthcare plans, flexible spending and savings accounts, life, AD&D, and disability coverages at rates determined periodically as well as a 401(k) retirement savings plan. Provided the eligibility requirements are met, employees will also receive an annual discretionary contribution to their 401(k) retirement savings plan from Alvarez & Marsal. Additionally, employees are eligible for paid time off including vacation, personal days, seventy-two (72) hours of sick time (prorated for part-time employees), ten federal holidays, one floating holiday, and parental leave. The amount of vacation and personal days available varies based on tenure and role type. Click here for more information regarding A&M's benefits programs.
The salary range is $150,000-$180,000 annually, dependent on several variables including but not limited to education, experience, skills, and geography. In addition, A&M offers a discretionary bonus program which is based on a number of factors, including individual and firm performance. Please ask your recruiter for details.
LI-HH1
Description
About Alvarez & Marsal
Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) is a global consulting firm with entrepreneurial, action and results-oriented professionals. We take a hands-on approach to solving our clients' problems and assisting them in reaching their potential. Our culture celebrates independent thinkers and doers who positively impact our clients and shape our industry. The collaborative environment and engaging work—guided by A&M's core values of Integrity, Quality, Objectivity, Fun, Personal Reward, and Inclusive Diversity—are why our people love working at A&M.
How you will contribute
We are seeking a dynamic Assistant General Counsel to provide legal support for service line commercial matters. Reporting to a senior member of the A&M legal department, this role offers an exciting opportunity to work closely with business leaders and corporate teams, advising on key contractual and risk-related issues in a fast-paced environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of contracts, including client engagement agreements, confidentiality agreements, vendor agreements, and ancillary client-related agreements (e.g., IP and technology).
- Identify and analyze legal and risk-related issues in contracts, providing clear, practical recommendations to internal stakeholders across various divisions.
- Collaborate with legal and corporate teams to drive the contracting process, ensuring efficiency and risk mitigation.
- Provide strategic legal guidance to support business objectives while ensuring adherence to applicable laws and company policies.
Qualifications & Experience
- 3+ years of legal experience; in-house experience is a plus but not required.
- Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
- Active membership in a State Bar (preference for NY).
Key Skills & Attributes
- Strong ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high-quality work.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to present complex legal issues to senior business executives.
- Strong organizational and project management capabilities.
- Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset, with a high level of responsiveness and initiative.
Your journey at A& M
We recognize that our people are the driving force behind our success, which is why we prioritize an employee experience that fosters each person's unique professional and personal development. Our robust performance development process promotes continuous learning, rewards your contributions, and fosters a culture of meritocracy. With top-notch training and on-the-job learning opportunities, you can acquire new skills and advance your career.
We prioritize your well-being, providing benefits and resources to support you on your personal journey. Our people consistently highlight the growth opportunities, our unique, entrepreneurial culture, and the fun we have together as their favorite aspects of working at A&M. The possibilities are endless for high-performing and passionate professionals.
Regular employees working 30 or more hours per week are also entitled to participate in Alvarez & Marsal Holdings' fringe benefits consisting of healthcare plans, flexible spending and savings accounts, life, AD&D, and disability coverages at rates determined periodically as well as a 401(k) retirement savings plan. Provided the eligibility requirements are met, employees will also receive an annual discretionary contribution to their 401(k) retirement savings plan from Alvarez & Marsal. Additionally, employees are eligible for paid time off including vacation, personal days, seventy-two (72) hours of sick time (prorated for part-time employees), ten federal holidays, one floating holiday, and parental leave. The amount of vacation and personal days available varies based on tenure and role type. Click here for more information regarding A&M's benefits programs.
The salary range is $150,000-$180,000 annually, dependent on several variables including but not limited to education, experience, skills, and geography. In addition, A&M offers a discretionary bonus program which is based on a number of factors, including individual and firm performance. Please ask your recruiter for details.
LI-HH1
See all 43+ OPT Assistant General Counsel Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Assistant General Counsel Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Assistant General Counsel
Target companies with dedicated legal departments
Large corporations, financial institutions, and tech companies maintain in-house legal teams that hire regularly and have established immigration compliance processes. They're far more likely to understand OPT work authorization than smaller firms without dedicated HR support.
Lead with your bar admission status
Most Assistant General Counsel roles require active bar admission in at least one U.S. state. Confirm your bar status upfront in applications. Employers screening for this requirement will filter out candidates who don't address it clearly and early.
Emphasize your practice area specialization
In-house legal teams hire for specific needs: employment law, contracts, regulatory compliance, IP, or M&A. Tailoring your application to match the company's industry and legal needs dramatically improves your chances over a generalist approach.
Start your search at least four months before OPT begins
Legal hiring moves slowly. Background checks, conflicts assessments, and offer approvals take time at larger employers. Beginning your search well before your OPT authorization date gives you realistic runway to land an offer before your window opens.
Prepare to explain OPT confidently to hiring managers
Many in-house legal teams haven't hired on OPT before. A one-paragraph explanation of your authorization period, the employer's verification obligation, and the H-1B visa transition pathway removes uncertainty and shows the professional clarity they expect from legal talent.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers already sponsoring legal roles
Filtering for companies that have previously sponsored legal professionals saves significant time. Migrate Mate surfaces these employers, so you're focusing your applications on organizations already familiar with work authorization rather than educating every hiring manager from scratch.
Assistant General Counsel OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Assistant General Counsel role qualify for OPT work authorization?
Yes. Assistant General Counsel positions require a J.D. and bar admission, which satisfies the specialty occupation standard that underpins OPT eligibility. The role must be directly related to your legal field of study. If your degree is in law and the position requires legal expertise, the connection is straightforward and well-supported.
Can I work as an Assistant General Counsel during the 60-day OPT grace period?
No. The 60-day grace period between jobs does not authorize employment. You cannot begin or continue working as an Assistant General Counsel during that window. You must secure a new position and update your SEVIS record before starting work. The grace period exists only for job searching and immigration planning, not active employment.
Do employers need to do anything special to hire me on OPT as an Assistant General Counsel?
The process is simpler than most employers expect. They verify your Employment Authorization Document, confirm the role aligns with your field of study, and update their I-9 records. No government petition or approval is required during OPT itself. The complexity only arises later if they pursue H-1B sponsorship, which most legal employers are already familiar with.
Where can I find Assistant General Counsel jobs that are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for this. It surfaces in-house legal roles at employers who have sponsored work visas before, so you're not spending time on companies that will reject you at the authorization question. Filtering by OPT-friendly employers in Migrate Mate is the most efficient way to build a targeted application list for counsel roles.
Does my J.D. qualify for the STEM OPT extension to extend my work authorization?
No. A J.D. is not classified as a STEM degree under the Department of Homeland Security's STEM designated degree program list, so it does not qualify for the 24-month STEM extension. Your OPT authorization is limited to 12 months. Planning your H-1B sponsorship timeline well before that window closes is essential for maintaining continuous work authorization in a legal role.