OPT Legal Director Jobs
Legal Director jobs on OPT require employers to sponsor your H-1B visa or other long-term visa before your authorization expires. Most roles demand a J.D. and bar admission. STEM OPT does not apply here, so your standard 12-month window is the timeline employers will work against.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Resource will provide legal, communication, organizational, and decision-making support to the Legal Department. Must be self-motivated and able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Perform a variety of legal support and decision-making duties including:
- Assisting in preparing responses to foreclosure actions, bankruptcy actions, and other process-oriented legal responses
- Tracking status of foreclosure cases and Sheriff’s sales involving the client
- Preparing a variety of legal documents necessary for the organization, such as contracts, mortgage releases/lien releases, reports, budgets, and internal communication
- Sorting, analyzing and distributing mail within the legal department
- Assisting Legal Counsel with word processing, filing and document transmittal services
- Assisting Legal Counsel in transmitting legal correspondence to clients, customers, outside counsel and court officials by electronic filing, mail, fax or messenger
- Managing special projects as assigned, including ensuring project progress, coordinating meetings, and maintaining organized project and case files
- Assisting Legal Counsel in reviewing and making necessary data entry updates to Sharepoint contracts database
- Performing records research, legal research, checking legal forms for accuracy, preparing legal documents, preparing drafts of contracts, preparing contract amendments
- Performing other tasks as needed and assigned
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Two (2) or four (4) year relevant educational degree (such as a Paralegal degree or certificate) - Required - 2 Years
- or minimum of 2 years exp in a law firm, government legal dept, corporate legal dept or equivalent setting w/exposure to legal terms and/or procedures - Required - 2 Years
- Minimum 2 years experience in the same position/employers - Required - 2 Years
- Demonstrated independent judgment and critical thinking skills - Required
- Exceptional organizational skills - Required
- Willingness and ability to take on a wide variety of tasks and new tasks as requested - Required
- Ability to work with sensitive documents and information w/o divulging information to internal or external parties - Required
- Interested in the mission of the client and taking part in work that furthers that mission - Required
- Demonstrated effective verbal and superior written communication skills - Required
- Demonstrated customer service orientation - Required
- Able to think logically and analytically - Required
- Proactive in anticipating and alerting others to problems with projects or processes - Required
- Exceedingly high detail orientation and accuracy - Required
- Takes initiative and needs little supervision - Required
- Able to prioritize, organize tasks and time, and follow up without being prompted - Required
- Able to perform responsibilities efficiently, accurately and timely - Required
- Able to work well in a team environment and as part of a team - Required
- Possess a high level of expertise in Microsoft Word and proficient in basics of Microsoft Excel - Required
LOCATION
Onsite
VIVA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants have an equal opportunity for placement, and all employees have an equal opportunity to develop on the job. This means that VIVA will not discriminate against any employee or qualified applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
INTRODUCTION
Resource will provide legal, communication, organizational, and decision-making support to the Legal Department. Must be self-motivated and able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Perform a variety of legal support and decision-making duties including:
- Assisting in preparing responses to foreclosure actions, bankruptcy actions, and other process-oriented legal responses
- Tracking status of foreclosure cases and Sheriff’s sales involving the client
- Preparing a variety of legal documents necessary for the organization, such as contracts, mortgage releases/lien releases, reports, budgets, and internal communication
- Sorting, analyzing and distributing mail within the legal department
- Assisting Legal Counsel with word processing, filing and document transmittal services
- Assisting Legal Counsel in transmitting legal correspondence to clients, customers, outside counsel and court officials by electronic filing, mail, fax or messenger
- Managing special projects as assigned, including ensuring project progress, coordinating meetings, and maintaining organized project and case files
- Assisting Legal Counsel in reviewing and making necessary data entry updates to Sharepoint contracts database
- Performing records research, legal research, checking legal forms for accuracy, preparing legal documents, preparing drafts of contracts, preparing contract amendments
- Performing other tasks as needed and assigned
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Two (2) or four (4) year relevant educational degree (such as a Paralegal degree or certificate) - Required - 2 Years
- or minimum of 2 years exp in a law firm, government legal dept, corporate legal dept or equivalent setting w/exposure to legal terms and/or procedures - Required - 2 Years
- Minimum 2 years experience in the same position/employers - Required - 2 Years
- Demonstrated independent judgment and critical thinking skills - Required
- Exceptional organizational skills - Required
- Willingness and ability to take on a wide variety of tasks and new tasks as requested - Required
- Ability to work with sensitive documents and information w/o divulging information to internal or external parties - Required
- Interested in the mission of the client and taking part in work that furthers that mission - Required
- Demonstrated effective verbal and superior written communication skills - Required
- Demonstrated customer service orientation - Required
- Able to think logically and analytically - Required
- Proactive in anticipating and alerting others to problems with projects or processes - Required
- Exceedingly high detail orientation and accuracy - Required
- Takes initiative and needs little supervision - Required
- Able to prioritize, organize tasks and time, and follow up without being prompted - Required
- Able to perform responsibilities efficiently, accurately and timely - Required
- Able to work well in a team environment and as part of a team - Required
- Possess a high level of expertise in Microsoft Word and proficient in basics of Microsoft Excel - Required
LOCATION
Onsite
VIVA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants have an equal opportunity for placement, and all employees have an equal opportunity to develop on the job. This means that VIVA will not discriminate against any employee or qualified applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
See all 514+ OPT Legal Director Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Legal Director
Target in-house legal departments at large employers
Large corporations with established HR and legal teams process visa sponsorships regularly. They have the infrastructure to handle H-1B visa petitions without treating it as an unusual burden, making them far more receptive than small law firms.
Lead with bar admission and jurisdiction early
Legal Director roles require active bar membership in a relevant state. Confirm your bar admission status and jurisdiction in your resume header and cover letter so hiring managers immediately know you meet the non-negotiable licensing requirement before sponsorship comes up.
Frame your OPT timeline around the H-1B cap schedule
H-1B registration opens in March each year, with an October 1 start date. If you join a role in time to be included in that cycle, sponsorship becomes a straightforward transition rather than an emergency, which reassures cautious hiring teams.
Highlight cross-border legal expertise as a differentiator
Your international background is a genuine asset for Legal Director roles involving international contracts, compliance, or regulatory matters. Positioning your perspective as additive to the legal team reframes sponsorship from a cost into a strategic investment in specialized capability.
Engage outside counsel to educate reluctant employers
Some employers hesitate not from unwillingness but from unfamiliarity with the process. Offering to connect their HR team with an immigration attorney, or providing a concise sponsorship overview document, removes the friction that prevents otherwise interested employers from moving forward.
Prioritize employers with a documented H-1B sponsorship history
Public LCA disclosure data shows which employers have previously filed for legal professionals. Concentrating your search on companies with a track record in this area eliminates guesswork and significantly improves the probability of a successful sponsorship conversation.
Legal Director OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Legal Director on OPT?
Yes, if your J.D. or relevant law-related degree supports the role and your employer is willing to sponsor you for long-term work authorization. Legal Director positions qualify as specialty occupations under H-1B standards. Because STEM OPT extension does not apply to law degrees, your standard OPT period gives you 12 months to secure sponsorship.
Do Legal Director employers commonly sponsor H-1B visas?
Sponsorship rates vary significantly by employer type. Large corporations with in-house legal departments and multinational companies are the most consistent sponsors, since they process H-1B petitions routinely. Smaller law firms and nonprofits sponsor far less frequently due to cost and administrative complexity. Focusing your search on companies with prior LCA filings for legal roles improves your odds considerably.
Does bar admission affect my OPT eligibility or sponsorship prospects?
Bar admission does not affect your OPT eligibility, but it is typically a hard requirement for a Legal Director title. Employers sponsoring you for H-1B will expect active bar membership in the relevant jurisdiction as part of the specialty occupation justification. If you are still awaiting bar results, some employers will discuss conditional offers while your application is pending.
Where can I find Legal Director jobs that sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT and visa-sponsored job seekers. You can browse Legal Director openings from employers who have indicated willingness to sponsor work authorization, which filters out the significant portion of postings where sponsorship is not available. Searching a general job board wastes time on roles that will not advance once your visa status is disclosed.
What happens to my OPT status if a Legal Director role falls through before my H-1B is filed?
Your OPT authorization is tied to your current employer. If a role ends before an H-1B petition is filed on your behalf, you enter the 60-day grace period during which you can seek new employment or change status. You cannot work during the grace period. Finding a new sponsoring employer before the grace period expires is critical to maintaining lawful status.