Legal Associate Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Legal Associate roles attract H-1B visa sponsorship from law firms and in-house legal departments, but a J.D. or equivalent foreign law degree is typically required. Employers filing an LCA with the DOL must certify prevailing wage compliance before your visa petition can proceed. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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INTRODUCTION
Do you want to help engineer what’s next?
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) is a national engineering firm committed to delivering holistic advice for our clients’ most complex challenges. We leverage our collective and diverse experience, technical expertise, and industry knowledge of structures and building enclosures, advanced analysis, performance & code consulting, and applied science & research to deliver unrivaled, comprehensive solutions that drive superior performance. With 800 employees in offices nationwide, SGH’s industry-leading teams constantly seek to advance the meaning of what’s possible.
What makes careers at SGH so special?
The only way to advance is to question and explore. Every member of the SGH team is both a learner and an educator, committed to advancing ourselves, our teams, and our industry. Together we are creating a community that never settles for what is but always seeks what could be.
There are many reasons to love SGH:
- Our Work: Our clients trust us to bring clarity and deliver outstanding solutions for their most complex projects.
- Our People: We are bold thinkers and compassionate teammates, committed to lifelong learning and professional growth.
- Our Commitment: We live with integrity and embrace an obligation to give back to our professions and communities.
- Our Contribution: We offer a comprehensive and rich compensation and benefits package with company-paid and voluntary programs to help build healthy lifestyles, strong relationships, and future prosperity.
Work Arrangement: This position is eligible to be in-office, or hybrid, based out of our Waltham, MA office location.
We want someone passionate about providing high quality legal support.
Become a member of our dynamic team dedicated to providing high quality legal support to one of the top engineering firms in the country! We're looking for someone with strong attention to detail, resourcefulness, excellent customer service skills, the ability to handle a variety of competing tasks, and a commitment to teamwork.
What You’ll Do:
- Triage and assign incoming requests to the Legal Department for contract reviews, insurance certificates, and other inquiries. Work closely with both operations and technical staff to obtain all necessary information for an efficient review/response.
- Compare, modify, and summarize incoming contract review requests against previously negotiated contracts with the same clients to promote consistency and accuracy for contract negotiations.
- Assist with contract review negotiations as needed, such as reviewing client response to proposed revisions and ensure incorporation of modifications for final execution.
- Log and track the status of all contracts and other project-related documents reviewed by Legal. Maintain electronic contract files, including emails, executed contracts, and other documents related to the contract reviews.
- Review, analyze, and propose modifications to NDAs, releases, and other short form agreements consistent with SGH policies.
- Prepare standard subconsultant agreements; work with internal stakeholders to finalize.
- Obtain certificates of insurance (COI) from broker per request of internal staff and external clients consistent with contract requirements and SGH guidelines.
- Assist with insurance renewal application, working closely with other operations departments; prepare COI renewal file, dispatching renewed COIs to both internal staff and external clients.
- Contribute to creating, improving, and updating Legal Department processes and forms.
- Manage organizing and executing special projects as assigned.
- Establish and maintain trusted rapports and work closely with technical and operations teams to address legal issues affecting the company's day-to-day business.
- Assist with roll out of new contract review process with new software.
What You’ll Need:
- Bachelor’s or Paralegal Certification plus 2 or more years of applicable experience working in a corporate environment, law firm, and/or the construction industry.
- Positive, proactive, and no-task-too-small-or-big mentality.
- Demonstrated experience working within aggressive timeframes.
- Ability to prioritize, multi-task, and maintain flexibility in a fast-paced changing environment.
- Skilled at teamwork as well as the ability to produce individual work product.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; strong organization skills and attention to detail.
Working Conditions:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for long periods of time; talk or hear; perform fine motor, hand, and finger skills in the use of a keyboard, mouse, telephone, or writing. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; and reach with arms and/or hands. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. The employee will spend their time in an office environment with a quiet to moderate noise level.
Benefits Overview:
SGH provides the following benefits to eligible employees:
- Paid Time Off (Vacation time, Sick leave, Holidays)
- Paid Parental Leave
- Profit Sharing and 401(k) plan with a discretionary company contribution
- Health Insurance (Medical, Dental & Vision)
- Short and Long-Term Disability (company paid)
- Employee Basic Life and AD&D insurance (company paid)
- Optional Life Insurance
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
- Fertility, Family Forming, and Hormonal Health benefit
- Employee Assistance Program
- Empathy Bereavement Support
- Pre-tax Commuter Benefit
- AFLAC Accident & Cancer Insurance
- Legal & Identity Theft plans
- Tuition Reimbursement
Compensation:
The below range is a good faith estimate pursuant to applicable equal pay and pay transparency laws. The actual salary offered will be based on several factors including the candidate’s experience, qualifications and work location.
Base salary is a part of SGH’s industry leading Total Compensation package. Our Total Compensation package includes base salary, pay for extra hours worked, an annual discretionary bonus program, generous paid time off, and health and wellness benefits with a special emphasis on substantial SGH contributions to medical insurance premiums and SGH’s Profit Sharing & 401(k) Plan.
This position is eligible for a $3,000 sign-on bonus.
Operations Role:
- $35—$42 USD
SGH is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we value diversity in our workforce. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all job applicants and employees. We consider all qualified applicants and encourage individuals with disabilities and protected veterans to apply. If the application system is not accessible to you, or you need a reasonable accommodation to apply due to a disability, please email jobs@sgh.com or call 781-907-9000 and ask for Human Resources.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Legal Associate
Target in-house legal teams at large corporations
Big tech, finance, and healthcare companies with dedicated legal departments sponsor Legal Associates more readily than small law firms. Their established HR infrastructure handles immigration paperwork routinely, making the process smoother and faster for both sides.
Confirm your degree qualifies as a specialty occupation
USCIS requires a J.D. or a directly related bachelor's degree for specialty occupation status. A foreign law degree may qualify, but you'll likely need a credential evaluation confirming U.S. equivalency before your employer files the H-1B petition.
Ask about cap-exempt employers early
Nonprofit legal aid organizations, government contractors, and university-affiliated legal clinics may qualify as cap-exempt H-1B employers. This bypasses the lottery entirely, giving you a direct path to status without waiting for an annual registration cycle.
Understand that bar admission affects sponsorability
Roles requiring active state bar admission add complexity. If you're not yet admitted, negotiate a timeline with your employer. Some firms sponsor J.D. graduates in paralegal or law clerk roles while bar results are pending, then refile once admitted.
Get the LCA filed before your start date
Your employer must obtain a certified Labor Condition Application from the Department of Labor before USCIS can approve your H-1B. Confirm your firm has initiated this step at least 60 days before your intended start date to avoid delays.
Use Migrate Mate to find firms with sponsorship history
Not every law firm advertises sponsorship willingness upfront. Migrate Mate filters Legal Associate openings by employers with active sponsorship activity, saving you from applying to roles where international candidates are screened out before the first interview.
Legal Associate jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Legal Associate JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Can a Legal Associate role qualify for H-1B sponsorship?
Yes, Legal Associate positions typically qualify as specialty occupations because they require at minimum a J.D. or a bachelor's degree in a specific legal field. USCIS evaluates whether the role normally requires a degree in a specific discipline, and legal work consistently meets that standard. The employer must still file an LCA and win the H-1B lottery unless they qualify as a cap-exempt organization.
Does my foreign law degree qualify me for a Legal Associate visa sponsorship?
A foreign law degree can satisfy the educational requirement, but you'll need a credential evaluation from a NACES-approved evaluator confirming it's equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree or higher in law. USCIS accepts foreign degrees that are equivalent in level and field. Some employers also require passage of a U.S. bar exam, which is a separate requirement from the visa qualification itself.
Do law firms or in-house legal departments sponsor more Legal Associates?
In-house legal departments at large corporations, particularly in technology, finance, and pharmaceuticals, tend to sponsor Legal Associates more frequently than private law firms. Firms at the Am Law 100 level do sponsor, but smaller boutique firms often lack the infrastructure or appetite for immigration proceedings. Searching Migrate Mate by employer type helps identify which organizations have active sponsorship histories for this role.
What happens to my H-1B if I need to switch law firms?
Under H-1B portability rules, you can begin working for a new employer as soon as they file a new H-1B petition on your behalf, as long as your prior H-1B was approved, your status is maintained, and the new petition is filed before your current authorization expires. You don't need to wait for USCIS approval to start. The new employer must still file an LCA and a new I-129 petition.
Are there visa options for Legal Associates who don't win the H-1B lottery?
If you hold a qualifying law degree from a country with a treaty, TN status is available for Canadian and Mexican nationals in specific legal roles. O-1A is an option for attorneys with demonstrated extraordinary ability, such as published legal scholarship or significant case recognition. Cap-exempt employers, including nonprofits and university law clinics, can file H-1B petitions outside the lottery entirely and are worth targeting directly.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Legal Associate jobs?
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.
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