OPT Legal Operations Specialist Jobs
Legal Operations Specialist roles sit at the intersection of law and business process, making them a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with legal studies, business, or technology backgrounds. Most positions qualify as specialty occupations for H-1B visa sponsorship. Your 12-month OPT window, plus a potential 24-month STEM extension if your degree qualifies, gives you meaningful runway to prove your value.
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INTRODUCTION
Make banking a Fifth Third better®
We connect great people to great opportunities. Are you ready to take the next step? Discover a career in banking at Fifth Third Bank.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
GENERAL FUNCTION: Works both independently and within teams to assist in performing duties that are highly complex regarding legal orders that require expertise and specialized knowledge of legal terminology, the court system and various court orders. Specialists must ensure all court orders are effectively interpreted, investigated and processed. Such legal orders include escalated, sensitive requests to be completed with extreme detail and/or escalated deadlines, in order to reduce risk of significant financial loss and reputational risks for the Bancorp.
Responsible and accountable for risk by openly exchanging ideas and opinions, elevating concerns, and personally following policies and procedures as defined. Accountable for always doing the right thing for customers and colleagues, and ensures that actions and behaviors drive a positive customer experience. While operating within the Bank's risk appetite, achieves results by consistently identifying, assessing, managing, monitoring, and reporting risks of all types.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Responsible for providing support for a variety of law-related activities, including performing legal research as needed in order to determine the scope of specific legal requests.
- Analyze and interpret legal language within various types of legal orders to determine the scope, jurisdiction, timeframe, due date. Legal orders can include assisting with processing of escalated subpoena requests, sensitive garnishment matters, search and seizure warrants, court controlled expenditures, freeze orders, etc.
- Review legal orders for any potential risk, issue or liability for the bank to timely and effectively escalate when needed within the guidelines established. Ability to negotiate and collaborate with others, initiate action, adapt to change, make difficult decisions while considering the risk and accept challenging assignments.
- Competently and frequently communicate with Attorneys, Federal and State Agencies and Law Enforcement Personnel to effectively negotiate and comply with the scope of summons and subpoenas, provides status of the request throughout the process, request extensions when necessary and provides notification when document production may exceed cost limitations outlined in the order.
- Effectively communicate with both external and internal legal counsel in order to maintain strong working relationships regarding the processing of legal orders.
- Assist with developing and maintaining the training and onboarding process.
- Assist supervisor by providing analytical support for key metrics, procedures and escalated issues. Such as preparing reporting, escalated due date requests and tracking risk related items.
- Accurately maintain and update files, databases and legal tracker. Monitors case schedules and filing deadlines, such as Motions to Quash, Objections, etc. Draft correspondence to be sent to legal counsel, internal partners and requesters.
- Initiates and removes account holds; and initiates bank checks for disbursement to appropriate parties as outlined within the legal orders.
- Assist with the updating and accuracy of applicable department procedures.
- Effectively communicate to customers, requesters and agencies on incoming and outgoing calls, following applicable procedures and scripting.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: None
MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:
- Bachelor's degree preferred.
- Qualified in an American Bar Association approved curriculum; Earned a Certified Legal Assistant designation, passed the Paralegal Advanced Competency Examination OR 1-2 years of experience in related field.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong organizational skills.
- Must demonstrate strong analytical and logical reasoning skills for problem solving.
- Experience with Microsoft office products, such as Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
- Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment, presenting a professional image and commanding the respect of staff, peers, and senior management.
- Resourceful, flexible, high energy and assertive when negotiating terms with other firms.
- Maintains a high level of confidentiality.
COMPENSATION
The base salary for this position is reflective of the range of salary levels for all roles within this pay grade across the U.S. Individual salaries within this range will vary based on factors such as role, relevant skillset, relevant experience, education and geographic location. In addition to the base salary, this role is eligible to participate in an incentive compensation plan, with any such payment based upon company, line of business and/or individual performance.
Our extensive benefits programs are designed to support the individual needs of our employees and their families, encompassing physical, financial, emotional and social well-being. You can learn more about those programs on our 53.com Careers page or by consulting with your talent acquisition partner.
LOCATION
Cincinnati, Ohio 45227
Attention search firms and staffing agencies: do not submit unsolicited resumes for this posting. Fifth Third does not accept resumes from any agency that does not have an active agreement with Fifth Third. Any unsolicited resumes – no matter how they are submitted – will be considered the property of Fifth Third and Fifth Third will not be responsible for any associated fee.
Fifth Third Bank, National Association is proud to have an engaged and inclusive culture and to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity in all employment decisions regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other legally protected status.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Legal Operations Specialist
Target law firms and corporate legal departments directly
In-house legal teams at Fortune 500 companies and AmLaw 100 firms regularly hire Legal Operations Specialists and have established immigration infrastructure. They're far more likely to sponsor OPT and H-1B visa than smaller boutique practices with no prior sponsorship experience.
Lean into your technology and process skills
Legal Operations roles increasingly require proficiency with contract lifecycle management software, e-billing platforms, and legal analytics tools. Candidates who demonstrate hands-on experience with these systems stand out and justify the specialty occupation classification sponsors need.
Clarify your OPT authorization timeline upfront
Before your first interview, know your OPT start date, end date, and whether your degree qualifies for the STEM extension. Being able to answer these questions confidently signals maturity and reduces the perceived hiring risk for sponsorship-hesitant employers.
Frame your EAD card correctly when asked about authorization
When employers ask about work authorization, say you're authorized to work on OPT and are seeking H-1B sponsorship for long-term employment. Avoid vague language. Clarity reduces confusion and keeps the conversation moving toward your qualifications.
Pursue legal operations certifications to strengthen your case
Credentials from the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC) or similar organizations signal professional commitment. Certifications also help employers justify the specialty occupation requirement USCIS scrutinizes when approving H-1B petitions for legal operations roles.
Build relationships with legal department hiring managers, not just recruiters
General recruiters often screen out OPT candidates before resumes reach decision-makers. Connecting directly with legal operations directors or General Counsel offices at target companies keeps you in front of people who understand the role's complexity and sponsorship value.
Legal Operations Specialist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Legal Operations Specialist role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B sponsorship?
Legal Operations Specialist positions generally qualify as specialty occupations because they require a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field such as law, business administration, or information systems. The role's complexity, involving process improvement, legal technology, vendor management, and data analysis, supports the specialty occupation argument. That said, USCIS scrutinizes each petition individually, so the job description needs to reflect genuine complexity rather than general administrative duties.
Can I work as a Legal Operations Specialist on OPT without any additional authorization?
Yes. If your F-1 OPT is approved and your Employment Authorization Document is valid, you can work as a Legal Operations Specialist without any additional filing. The position must be directly related to your field of study. If your degree is in a STEM-designated field such as information systems or business analytics, you may also be eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension after your initial 12 months.
Where can I find Legal Operations Specialist jobs that are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters jobs by sponsorship willingness, so you're not wasting time on roles that won't consider candidates on work authorization. General job boards don't surface this information reliably. Browsing Migrate Mate lets you focus your energy on employers who have sponsored international candidates before and are open to doing so again.
Does my degree field affect my eligibility for Legal Operations Specialist roles on OPT?
Your OPT must be tied to employment directly related to your major. Legal Operations roles typically align with degrees in legal studies, business administration, information systems, or data analytics. If your degree is in an unrelated field, you may have difficulty demonstrating the required connection. For STEM OPT extension eligibility, your degree program must appear on the official DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List.
How should I handle the H-1B sponsorship conversation during a Legal Operations job interview?
Raise sponsorship after you've established your qualifications, not at the start of the conversation. When the topic comes up, explain your OPT status clearly, confirm your authorized work period, and note that H-1B sponsorship would be needed for continued employment beyond your OPT window. Emphasize that the employer's legal team or outside counsel handles the process, and that your job is simply to perform well. Confidence and clarity reduce employer hesitation significantly.