Legal OPT Jobs in New York
Legal F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in New York are concentrated in Manhattan, where global law firms like Skadden, Sullivan & Cromwell, and Cravath regularly hire international candidates in research, compliance, and paralegal roles. New York's dense concentration of BigLaw, financial regulatory bodies, and corporate legal departments makes it one of the strongest markets in the country for OPT-eligible legal professionals.
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INTRODUCTION
Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments and individuals from more than 1,200 offices in 43 countries.
As a market leader, the talent and passion of our people is critical to our success. Together, we share a common set of values rooted in integrity, excellence and strong team ethic. Morgan Stanley can provide a superior foundation for building a professional career - a place for people to learn, to achieve and grow. A philosophy that balances personal lifestyles, perspectives and needs is an important part of our culture.
The SPG Repo desk focuses on providing secured asset based financing solutions across a large number of clients including hedge funds, asset managers, REITS, and private capital investors. Repo trading is an operationally intensive activity that relies on the ability to closely monitor and manage collateral flows in order to quickly address issues that arise. The SPG Repo team is looking for an experienced analyst or junior associate, ideally with 2-3 years of experience in repo operations or in the securitized products group to join the team.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
What will you be doing?
- Maintain and monitor upcoming rolling and resetting trades throughout the approval process
- Collaborate with credit and market risk partners to address client, sector, and security specific questions about pending approvals, existing desk exposure, and future desk activity
- Book trades and lifecycle events and liaise with operations teams to monitor settlement status, working to resolve issues with the respective internal and external parties
- Establish/maintain a strong connection with various sales and trading desks
- Work closely with sales and senior members of the desk to support revenue generation
- Analyze securitized products across various asset classes
- Interact with various sales and trading desks to identify key risks and challenges across clients and specific product markets
- Create presentations for governance committee review and management reporting
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What we’re looking for:
- Strong quantitative, analytical and interpersonal skills
- Proactive worker with the ability to work as part of a close-knit team as well as independently
- High level of initiative, motivation, attention to detail, positive attitude, and the ability to work in a fast paced environment
- A commercial mindset and desire to collaborate and create strong partnerships with sales & trading and clients
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Minimum education qualification is a Bachelor's degree
- Licensed with SIE, Series 7 and 63 (can be completed in role)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
A successful Junior Trader will:
- Provide leverage to team members: have a "commercial mind-set" to understand how personal contributions result in revenue generation and creation of shareholder value
- Strong time management skills and understanding of how individual work performance (including speed, attention to detail, quality) impacts the firm's ability to serve clients
- Possess a positive attitude and determination to complete tasks while demonstrating intellectual curiosity to understand the product and business
- Analyze and interpret data: can identify trends and themes in quantitative analyses and communicate them effectively
- Excellent modelling, writing, research, and presentation skills (e.g., proficient in PowerPoint, Excel, Word)
- Have a desire to develop into a role requiring frequent interaction with clients to provide market updates, seek new business opportunities and execute on transactions
- Anticipate needs of client, team and senior members of the team: show initiative to support team members and be pro-active with improving processes and responsibilities
- Have a strong attention to detail
- New York City based or desire to live in NYC
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:
At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.
COMPENSATION
Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $110,000 and $125,000 per year at the commencement of employment for Analyst, and between $150,000 and $200,000 per year at the commencement of employment for Associate. However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long-term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.
Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents.
Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.
OPT Legal Job Roles in New York
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Search Legal Jobs in New YorkLegal OPT Sponsorship Jobs in New York: Frequently Asked Questions
Which legal companies sponsor F-1 OPT visas in New York?
Large law firms with New York headquarters, including Skadden Arps, Davis Polk, Sullivan & Cromwell, and Cleary Gottlieb, have established hiring pipelines for international candidates on OPT. Corporate legal departments at financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup also hire OPT-eligible candidates for compliance and regulatory roles. Sponsorship willingness varies by firm size, role type, and the candidate's field of study.
Which cities in New York have the most legal F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs?
Manhattan accounts for the overwhelming majority of legal OPT sponsorship opportunities in New York, driven by its concentration of BigLaw firms, financial regulators, and multinational corporate headquarters. Albany has a smaller but distinct market centered on government affairs and regulatory work. Buffalo and Rochester have regional law firms and healthcare legal teams that occasionally hire OPT candidates, though volume is significantly lower than New York City.
What types of legal roles typically qualify for F-1 OPT sponsorship?
Roles that align directly with a law-related degree tend to qualify most cleanly under OPT authorization. Common positions include paralegal, legal research analyst, compliance analyst, contract specialist, and regulatory affairs associate. STEM OPT extensions are generally not available for standard J.D. or LL.B. programs unless the role connects to a qualifying STEM-designated field of study. Candidates with degrees in legal studies or international law should confirm their CIP code with their DSO before applying.
How do I find legal F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in New York?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international candidates on OPT and other work visas, with filters for visa type, industry, and location. Searching for legal F-1 OPT jobs in New York on Migrate Mate surfaces employers who have actively hired visa-sponsored candidates in the legal sector, saving significant time compared to screening general job boards manually. Filtering by the Law & Legal Services industry category narrows results to relevant roles in compliance, paralegal work, and legal research.
Are there any New York-specific considerations for legal F-1 OPT sponsorship?
New York's bar admission rules are worth understanding early. Foreign-educated attorneys and J.D. holders working in paralegal or legal analyst roles on OPT are not practicing law, so bar admission is not required for most OPT-eligible positions. However, some in-house legal departments in New York distinguish between roles requiring New York bar admission and those that do not, which affects job eligibility. Candidates should also be aware that New York-based law firms often have formal structured associate programs that may accelerate H-1B visa sponsorship timelines after OPT.