aiLegal is seeking a highly disciplined, experienced Immigration Attorney to lead removal defense and federal immigration litigation matters in a fast-paced, AI-driven practice. This role is designed for attorneys who take full ownership of complex cases, execute with speed and precision, and thrive in a high-accountability, productivity-based environment.

Senior Immigration Attorney – Family, Humanitarian & Removal Defense

Location: Atlanta, GA; San Francisco, CA; New York, NY; or Remote

Employment Type: Full-Time

Compensation: $135,000–$185,000 annually, depending on experience, plus performance-based bonus opportunities

Reports To: Managing Attorney

About aiLegal

aiLegal is a technology-driven immigration law firm committed to providing efficient, high-quality, and client-centered legal services. Our practice serves individuals, families, and businesses across a broad range of immigration matters, including family-based immigration, humanitarian relief, business immigration, consular processing, removal defense, and federal immigration litigation.

Our operating model combines experienced legal professionals, standardized workflows, and technology-enabled case management to promote consistency, accountability, timely case progression, and excellent client service.

The firm utilizes a flat-fee model with assigned credit-hour values for specific case types and legal deliverables. Attorneys are expected to manage their workloads effectively, meet established productivity expectations, maintain high-quality legal work, and comply with all applicable filing and court deadlines.

We are seeking an experienced immigration attorney with substantial removal defense and federal litigation experience who can independently manage complex matters, develop sound legal strategies, and contribute effectively in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.

Position Overview

The Senior Immigration Attorney will oversee and manage complex immigration matters, with a primary focus on removal defense, humanitarian immigration matters, family-based immigration, and federal immigration litigation.

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong legal writing and analytical skills, excellent judgment, attention to detail, technological proficiency, and the ability to independently manage multiple matters and deadlines.

This position requires familiarity with applicable procedures and practice requirements involving agencies and courts that may include U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Department of State (DOS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the Department of Labor (DOL), and federal courts.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Case Management

• Serve as lead counsel on assigned immigration matters, including removal defense and federal immigration litigation.
• Develop legal strategies based on applicable immigration laws, regulations, agency guidance, procedural requirements, and the facts of each matter.
• Draft, review, revise, and finalize motions, briefs, applications, petitions, declarations, legal memoranda, and supporting documentation.
• Conduct final attorney review and approval of filings before submission.
• Ensure all assigned matters are handled in accordance with applicable statutes, regulations, court rules, agency requirements, ethical obligations, and internal procedures.
• Maintain accurate and timely case notes, deadlines, milestones, and task updates within the firm's case-management systems.
• Monitor court, agency, filing, interview, and response deadlines and take appropriate action to ensure timely completion.
• Attend USCIS interviews, EOIR hearings, ICE appointments, and other proceedings as appropriate and consistent with applicable licensing, admission, jurisdictional, and court requirements.
• Travel may be required depending on case needs.

Client Counseling and Communication

• Conduct client consultations and interviews and identify relevant facts, legal issues, risks, and potential strategies.
• Explain immigration processes, legal options, case developments, risks, and next steps to clients in a clear and professional manner.
• Review supporting evidence for accuracy, consistency, and legal relevance.
• Maintain timely, professional, and compassionate communication with clients throughout the representation.
• Document material client communications and case developments in accordance with firm procedures.

Legal Strategy and Quality Assurance

• Provide legal guidance and strategic recommendations on complex immigration matters.
• Review matters prepared by attorneys, paralegals, and other legal professionals when assigned.
• Identify legal, procedural, factual, and documentation issues before submission.
• Ensure filings comply with applicable form editions, filing fees, signature requirements, filing addresses, evidentiary requirements, court rules, and agency procedures.
• Participate in peer review, legal strategy discussions, and quality-control processes.

Team Collaboration

• Collaborate with attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, intake professionals, and operations staff throughout the case lifecycle.
• Provide clear guidance and feedback to team members regarding assigned legal work.
• Support standardized workflows, checklists, and case-management procedures designed to improve efficiency and consistency.
• Participate in team meetings, case reviews, training sessions, and process-improvement initiatives.
• Contribute to a professional workplace culture centered on accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and client service.

Productivity and Accountability

• Consistently meet established productivity expectations, including a target of approximately 100 completed credit hours per month, subject to case complexity, assignments, approved leave, and business needs.
• Maintain accurate case-management, productivity, and work-tracking records as required.
• Complete assigned deliverables within established internal and external deadlines.
• Promptly communicate potential delays, case risks, resource limitations, or deadline concerns to appropriate team members.
• Support department and firm-wide performance goals while maintaining professional and ethical standards.

Qualifications

Required

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law and membership in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Minimum of 5 years of substantive immigration law experience, with significant experience in removal defense and/or federal immigration litigation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of U.S. immigration law and relevant agency and court procedures.
• Experience handling matters involving USCIS and EOIR.
• Strong legal research, writing, analytical, and advocacy skills.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple complex matters and competing deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work effectively in a technology-driven and metrics-oriented environment.
• Professional judgment, accountability, discretion, and commitment to client service.

Preferred

• Experience with humanitarian immigration matters, including asylum, VAWA, U visas, T visas, waivers, and related relief.
• Experience with family-based immigration and consular processing.
• Federal court immigration litigation experience.
• Experience appearing before immigration courts and administrative agencies.
• Familiarity with Jira or comparable project-management, workflow-management, or case-management platforms.
• Experience working in a high-volume immigration practice.
• Experience utilizing legal technology, automation, and AI-assisted workflow tools.

Performance Expectations

Success in this position will be evaluated using a combination of legal quality, timeliness, productivity, professionalism, client service, and collaboration.

Productivity

Attorneys are generally expected to complete approximately 100 credit hours per month based on the firm's established credit-hour system. Performance expectations may take into consideration assignment volume, complexity, approved leave, and other relevant circumstances.

Quality and Accuracy

Attorneys are expected to exercise appropriate professional care and conduct thorough quality review before filings are submitted. Examples of matters requiring careful review include:

• Client names, dates, addresses, and other identifying information
• Current form editions
• Required filing fees and payment information
• Required signatures and dates
• Filing locations and addresses
• Supporting documentation
• Required form pages and attachments
• Filing organization and document sequencing
• Court and agency deadlines
• Hearing dates
• Service requirements
• Internal review procedures and established SOPs

Errors, omissions, or missed deadlines will be reviewed based on the circumstances, severity, frequency, preventability, and impact on the client or matter.

Communication

Team members are expected to communicate promptly and professionally.

• Time-sensitive internal communications should be acknowledged as soon as reasonably practicable during working hours.
• Client and external communications should generally be acknowledged within one business day unless a shorter response period is required by the circumstances.
• Urgent matters, filing deadlines, hearings, emergencies, and significant client concerns should be escalated promptly.

Collaboration

Attorneys are expected to actively participate in case reviews, team meetings, quality-control processes, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous process improvement.

Who Thrives at aiLegal

This role is well suited for attorneys who:

• Take ownership of their work and follow matters through completion.
• Produce strong written legal work.
• Exercise sound legal judgment.
• Manage deadlines consistently and proactively.
• Are comfortable learning and using technology.
• Appreciate structured processes and measurable performance expectations.
• Work effectively both independently and collaboratively.
• Welcome constructive feedback and continuous improvement.
• Communicate professionally with clients and colleagues.
• Remain adaptable in a growing and evolving legal practice.

Because of the pace and structure of the practice, this position may not be the best fit for professionals who prefer an environment without productivity metrics, standardized workflows, technology-enabled case management, or clearly defined performance expectations.

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary of $135,000–$185,000, depending on qualifications, experience, location, and other job-related factors.
• Performance-based bonus opportunities tied to productivity, quality, and client-service metrics.
• High-performing attorneys may have the opportunity to earn total annual compensation exceeding $200,000, depending on applicable bonus criteria and performance.
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• 401(k) plan with employer contribution.
• Paid time off.
• Continuing Legal Education and professional-development support.
• Bar dues support, subject to firm policy.
• Opportunities for professional growth and leadership advancement.

Why Join aiLegal

At aiLegal, attorneys have an opportunity to help shape a modern approach to immigration practice.

Team members benefit from:

• Technology-supported legal workflows designed to improve efficiency and consistency.
• Collaboration with experienced immigration professionals.
• Exposure to complex and meaningful immigration matters.
• Clearly defined performance expectations and professional-development opportunities.
• A culture focused on accountability, innovation, quality, and client service.
• Opportunities for advancement as the firm continues to grow.

Equal Employment Opportunity

aiLegal is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants and employees. Employment decisions are made based on legitimate business considerations, including qualifications, experience, skills, performance, and organizational needs, and without unlawful discrimination based on any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities and applicants who require accommodation during the hiring process, consistent with applicable law.