Paralegal Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Illinois
Illinois paralegals work across corporate law firms in Chicago's Loop, major financial institutions, and the state's expanding healthcare and real estate sectors. Large employers like Kirkland & Ellis, Sidley Austin, and Mayer Brown have sponsored immigration visas for legal support staff, making Illinois one of the more active states for paralegal sponsorship opportunities.
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INTRODUCTION
Venable LLP's Commercial Litigation Chicago/Denver practice in our Chicago office seeks a paralegal with a minimum of five years of experience as a litigation paralegal.
The paralegal will perform substantive tasks that assist our litigation teams at every stage of the litigation process (pleading, factual and expert discovery, pre-trial, trial and post-trial/appellate stages). The projects range from case material compilation for attorney review to participation at trial for practices related to Products Liability, Mass Torts, Commercial Litigation, and Intellectual Property.
RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES
- Provide support for attorneys and paralegals on case teams in the preparation, filing, and service of papers for use in court proceedings, including hearings, depositions, and trial
- Organize and maintain the gathering, tracking, and production of documents to be reviewed and produced in cases, using the firm’s databases, and organize and track incoming document productions
- Organize and maintain the pleadings, discovery materials, and other files in cases
- Perform manual and electronic searches for documents for use in court proceedings and assemble documents needed for use in court proceedings
- Coordinate with providers for the retrieval of medical records
- Preparation of medical chronologies upon review of records
- Prepare subpoenas, deposition notices, record summaries, cast of characters and chronology of events
- Prepare and organize exhibits for motions and/or depositions
- Create and maintain databases for case and document management
- Prepare spreadsheets and otherwise track discovery requests
- Organize and supervise document productions in conjunction with Practice Technology professionals and vendor
- Coordinate in and out-of-town depositions, as well as, handle all logistics for any appearances
- Prepare and organize trial notebooks and demonstrative exhibits
- Attend and assist at trial
- Perform other tasks within software programs, such as iManage, Outlook, Microsoft Suite, TextMap, Relativity, Westlaw, and Lexis
- Coordinate outside vendor services for cases
- Meet firm’s billable hours’ requirement
- Willing to work in office as needed by case teams
- Other duties as may be assigned by attorneys and senior paralegals
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree, required
- Experience with document review platforms, such as Relativity and TextMap, is required
- Experience in trial preparation and general trial support, is required
- Familiarity with retrieval of medical records from providers and preparing medical chronologies, is strongly preferred
- Fundamental proficiency in Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat
- Effective interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills to work on case teams
- Excellent discipline and organizational, planning, analytical, and troubleshooting skills
- Ability to multitask and successfully manage a variety of demands daily from a variety of sources
- Strong attention to detail
- Cite checking experience, is a plus
- Ability to work a project independently and shows initiative in asking questions when needed
- Ability to handle sensitive matters and maintain confidentiality
- Committed to work outside of normal business hours and travel as needed, which may be extensive and include weekends or holidays
COMPENSATION
- The anticipated base salary for the position of Paralegal in the Commercial Litigation Chicago/Denver practice group is $115,000 - $175,000 per year. The actual salary offered will be based on a number of job related factors including, but not limited to, years of related experience, level of education, skills, credentials and certifications, responsibilities and performance. Additional compensation may include discretionary bonuses and overtime, if eligible. Overtime wages earned will be paid in compliance with applicable law.
BENEFITS
Venable’s benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, flexible spending and healthcare savings accounts, 401(k) with firm profit share, paid vacation and sick time, firm paid holidays, wellness and personal advocacy programs, family planning resources and leave programs, tuition reimbursement, and more. New employees are provided a detailed orientation to the firm’s benefit offerings upon hire.
Venable LLP does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or on any other basis prohibited by law. To view our inclusion and opportunity policy, please click here.
Contact:
Maria T. Wintermute
Senior Manager, Associate Recruiting
MTWintermute@venable.com
Paralegal Job Roles in Illinois
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Search Paralegal Jobs in IllinoisParalegal Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for paralegals in Illinois?
Chicago's large Am Law 100 firms, including Kirkland & Ellis, Sidley Austin, Mayer Brown, and Winston & Strawn, have historically sponsored immigration visas for paralegals. Corporate legal departments at major Illinois-headquartered companies in finance, healthcare, and manufacturing also sponsor paralegal roles, particularly for candidates with specialized knowledge in areas like intellectual property, corporate transactions, or regulatory compliance.
Which visa types are most common for paralegal roles in Illinois?
The H-1B visa is the most common visa category for paralegal positions in Illinois, provided the role requires a specific bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as paralegal studies, legal studies, or a related discipline. Some candidates also enter through the TN visa if they are Canadian or Mexican nationals qualifying under USMCA professional categories. O-1 visas are rarely applicable for paralegal roles specifically.
Which cities in Illinois have the most paralegal sponsorship jobs?
Chicago concentrates the overwhelming majority of paralegal sponsorship opportunities in Illinois. The Loop and surrounding downtown neighborhoods house the state's largest law firms and corporate legal departments. Suburbs like Naperville, Oak Brook, and Schaumburg have corporate headquarters with in-house legal teams that occasionally hire paralegals, but sponsorship activity outside Chicago is considerably less common.
How to find paralegal visa sponsorship jobs in Illinois?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically by visa sponsorship willingness, making it practical to search for paralegal roles in Illinois without sifting through positions that won't support international candidates. Because sponsorship for paralegal roles is less common than for technical fields, filtering by state and role on Migrate Mate helps surface the employers actively open to sponsoring, particularly among Chicago's larger law firms and corporate legal departments.
Are there any state-specific considerations for paralegal sponsorship in Illinois?
Illinois paralegals working under H-1B status must be paid at least the Department of Labor prevailing wage for their specific occupation and geographic area, which is determined by the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metropolitan statistical area for most positions. Illinois also has an active pipeline of internationally trained law graduates from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and University of Illinois Chicago School of Law who sometimes transition into paralegal roles while pursuing U.S. bar admission.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored paralegal jobs in Illinois?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.