Legal Director Visa Sponsorship Jobs in New York
New York is one of the most active markets for legal director hiring, with major financial institutions, global law firms, and Fortune 500 headquarters concentrated in Manhattan. Media companies, healthcare systems, and technology firms across the metro area also maintain in-house legal teams that regularly sponsor international talent for senior counsel and legal director roles.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
The Center for Family Representation Inc. (CFR) is an award-winning, innovative law and policy organization that serves primarily Black and Brown families and youth in Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island with an interdisciplinary legal defense model that serves more than 2400 clients every year. CFR was originally founded in 2002 to dramatically change the trajectory of indigent parents being prosecuted by the City’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). Our goal is to defend and protect our clients’ rights, reduce the harm of family separation and prevent or minimize the time any child spends in the foster system.
CFR provides interdisciplinary family defense with a model that was unique at our founding and that is now being replicated nationally: we assign every client an attorney and a social work staff member, and teams have the support of parent advocates, who are parents with direct personal experience of being investigated and prosecuted by ACS. CFR was the first agency in the country to integrate parents with lived experience into legal teams and now has 10 parent advocates working in all four of our family defense locations.
PRACTICE AREAS
CFR’s Community Advocacy Project represents parents during a child protective investigation (to avoid court involvement where possible) and assists parents in clearing their names from state maltreatment records.
As an agency committed to securing justice for families, we built the Youth Defense practice (YDP) to defend youth at risk of family separation through incarceration. YDP uses the same interdisciplinary model to represent youth being prosecuted in Queens, Bronx and Manhattan in Supreme Court Youth Parts, during Probation Adjustment and in Delinquency proceedings in Family Court.
CFR’s Home for Good program provides legal and social work services to CFR clients in immigration, civil legal services and criminal defense matters, to afford clients an efficient and well-coordinated one-stop solution to a range of issues that threaten family stability.
Recognized as experts in our fields, we annually train over 500 practitioners in the city, state and around the country on strategies to promote family preservation and interdisciplinary representation, and we provide community based “Know Your Rights” presentations to parents, youth and service providers. We advocate at the city, state and national level for policies that reduce the harm of family separation, and promote parent engagement and justice for youth and families.
CFR is seeking Law Graduates to begin immediately.
Responsibilities
- Work as part of CFR’s interdisciplinary legal teams (comprised of attorneys, social work staff, paralegals and parent advocates) to provide our clients with high quality legal defense and meet objectives such as
- keeping children out of the foster system,
- shortening lengths of stay for children in the foster system,
- promoting quality visiting arrangements and
- ensuring that families receive services that are well-tailored to expediting safe and lasting reunification
- Represent parents in Family Court who are respondents in Article 10 and all related supplemental proceedings, including Termination of Parental Rights proceedings
- Pursue interim appeals on behalf of CFR’s clients
- Keep case data, client legal notes and files up to date
- Participate in CFR’s policy initiatives
- Work collaboratively with CFR's Home for Good teams
Law Graduates joining CFR can expect intensive training on CFR’s Cornerstone Advocacy model, family court, the child welfare/family regulation system, client interviewing, and other critical skills. CFR is dedicated to providing ongoing professional development in best practices in all these areas in a variety of training forums for all staff.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Law school graduates who taken and passed the New York State bar exam and are pending admission.
- Demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills, an ability to work as part of a team and a desire to share in both the exhilaration and challenges of a growing endeavor.
- Prior experience with public benefits, housing, criminal defense or immigration is preferred.
- Individuals who apply should be able to demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills and a commitment to interdisciplinary representation of parents.
- Prior to their start date candidates are required to have completed all exams required for admission to the Bar.
SALARY & BENEFITS
Starting salary: $95,000
CFR offers a generous compensation package, including a competitive base salary as well as health, 403(b) and vacation benefits. The salary, benefits, and employment policies relevant to this position are governed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between CFR and the CFR Union, part of ALAA (Association of Legal Aid Attorneys) UAW 2325.
CFR strives to create an inclusive and antiracist environment for all of its staff, and candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply; CFR is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
CFR is a primarily in-person workforce. This role is based in our Queens office. CFR has a generous telecommuting policy that allows staff the flexibility to work from home when there are no in-person client or organizational obligations.
APPLY
Candidates should submit their cover letter and resume through CFR’s Career Portal.
INTRODUCTION
The Center for Family Representation Inc. (CFR) is an award-winning, innovative law and policy organization that serves primarily Black and Brown families and youth in Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island with an interdisciplinary legal defense model that serves more than 2400 clients every year. CFR was originally founded in 2002 to dramatically change the trajectory of indigent parents being prosecuted by the City’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). Our goal is to defend and protect our clients’ rights, reduce the harm of family separation and prevent or minimize the time any child spends in the foster system.
CFR provides interdisciplinary family defense with a model that was unique at our founding and that is now being replicated nationally: we assign every client an attorney and a social work staff member, and teams have the support of parent advocates, who are parents with direct personal experience of being investigated and prosecuted by ACS. CFR was the first agency in the country to integrate parents with lived experience into legal teams and now has 10 parent advocates working in all four of our family defense locations.
PRACTICE AREAS
CFR’s Community Advocacy Project represents parents during a child protective investigation (to avoid court involvement where possible) and assists parents in clearing their names from state maltreatment records.
As an agency committed to securing justice for families, we built the Youth Defense practice (YDP) to defend youth at risk of family separation through incarceration. YDP uses the same interdisciplinary model to represent youth being prosecuted in Queens, Bronx and Manhattan in Supreme Court Youth Parts, during Probation Adjustment and in Delinquency proceedings in Family Court.
CFR’s Home for Good program provides legal and social work services to CFR clients in immigration, civil legal services and criminal defense matters, to afford clients an efficient and well-coordinated one-stop solution to a range of issues that threaten family stability.
Recognized as experts in our fields, we annually train over 500 practitioners in the city, state and around the country on strategies to promote family preservation and interdisciplinary representation, and we provide community based “Know Your Rights” presentations to parents, youth and service providers. We advocate at the city, state and national level for policies that reduce the harm of family separation, and promote parent engagement and justice for youth and families.
CFR is seeking Law Graduates to begin immediately.
Responsibilities
- Work as part of CFR’s interdisciplinary legal teams (comprised of attorneys, social work staff, paralegals and parent advocates) to provide our clients with high quality legal defense and meet objectives such as
- keeping children out of the foster system,
- shortening lengths of stay for children in the foster system,
- promoting quality visiting arrangements and
- ensuring that families receive services that are well-tailored to expediting safe and lasting reunification
- Represent parents in Family Court who are respondents in Article 10 and all related supplemental proceedings, including Termination of Parental Rights proceedings
- Pursue interim appeals on behalf of CFR’s clients
- Keep case data, client legal notes and files up to date
- Participate in CFR’s policy initiatives
- Work collaboratively with CFR's Home for Good teams
Law Graduates joining CFR can expect intensive training on CFR’s Cornerstone Advocacy model, family court, the child welfare/family regulation system, client interviewing, and other critical skills. CFR is dedicated to providing ongoing professional development in best practices in all these areas in a variety of training forums for all staff.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Law school graduates who taken and passed the New York State bar exam and are pending admission.
- Demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills, an ability to work as part of a team and a desire to share in both the exhilaration and challenges of a growing endeavor.
- Prior experience with public benefits, housing, criminal defense or immigration is preferred.
- Individuals who apply should be able to demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills and a commitment to interdisciplinary representation of parents.
- Prior to their start date candidates are required to have completed all exams required for admission to the Bar.
SALARY & BENEFITS
Starting salary: $95,000
CFR offers a generous compensation package, including a competitive base salary as well as health, 403(b) and vacation benefits. The salary, benefits, and employment policies relevant to this position are governed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between CFR and the CFR Union, part of ALAA (Association of Legal Aid Attorneys) UAW 2325.
CFR strives to create an inclusive and antiracist environment for all of its staff, and candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply; CFR is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
CFR is a primarily in-person workforce. This role is based in our Queens office. CFR has a generous telecommuting policy that allows staff the flexibility to work from home when there are no in-person client or organizational obligations.
APPLY
Candidates should submit their cover letter and resume through CFR’s Career Portal.
Legal Director Job Roles in New York
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Search Legal Director Jobs in New YorkLegal Director Jobs in New York: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for legal directors in New York?
Financial services firms including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup are among the most consistent sponsors for senior in-house legal roles in New York. Large media and technology companies, major healthcare systems like NewYork-Presbyterian, and multinational corporations with U.S. headquarters in Manhattan also file visa petitions for legal directors. Law firm sponsorship is less common for partner-track roles but does occur for employed counsel positions.
Which visa types are most common for legal director roles in New York?
The H-1B visa is the most common visa for legal directors, as the role typically requires a Juris Doctor or equivalent law degree, satisfying the specialty occupation requirement. Candidates with extraordinary professional recognition may pursue the O-1A. Legal directors transferring from a multinational employer's foreign office may qualify for the L-1A intracompany transferee visa. Australian citizens may also have access to the E-3 visa as an alternative to the H-1B visa.
Which cities in New York have the most legal director sponsorship jobs?
Manhattan accounts for the overwhelming majority of legal director visa sponsorship activity in New York, given the concentration of corporate headquarters, financial institutions, and major law firms. Buffalo and Albany have a smaller but present market tied to government-adjacent organizations, healthcare systems, and regional corporations. For most international candidates, the New York City metro area, including roles accessible from Brooklyn and Queens offices, represents the primary opportunity.
How to find legal director visa sponsorship jobs in New York?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international candidates and filters legal director roles in New York by visa sponsorship availability, saving significant time compared to sorting through general job listings. The platform surfaces positions from employers with a documented history of sponsoring work visas for senior legal roles. Filtering by state and role on Migrate Mate lets you focus on New York employers actively open to sponsoring legal directors rather than applying broadly and discovering sponsorship barriers late in the process.
Are there state-specific considerations for legal director visa sponsorship in New York?
New York requires that attorneys practicing law hold a New York State Bar admission, which is a separate credential from visa authorization. International candidates should confirm bar eligibility, including any foreign law degree equivalency review required by the New York State Board of Law Examiners, before pursuing in-house legal director roles. Employers sponsoring legal directors in New York must also meet Department of Labor prevailing wage obligations specific to the New York City or relevant metropolitan area wage zone.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored legal director jobs in New York?
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.