Lead VAWA & USCIS Attorney

Wannamaker Crimmigration; El Paso (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

C.R. Wannamaker Law, PLLC is seeking a Lead VAWA & USCIS Attorney to provide legal leadership, strategy, and quality control for humanitarian and USCIS-focused immigration matters. You will support attorneys and staff handling VAWA relief, resolve complex questions, and promote client-centered representation.

The role emphasizes a reduced personal caseload to focus on strategy, mentoring, and escalation support, with supervision of paralegals and assistants and collaboration across teams.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar license in good standing.
• 3–5 years of immigration law experience, including VAWA-based relief.
• 1–2 years of people-management or team-leadership experience.
• Substantive USCIS practice experience including filings and responses.
• Strong legal writing, research, and client-focused communication.

Responsibilities

• Direct case strategy and review eligibility for VAWA self-petitions and related benefits.
• Oversee preparation and quality review of USCIS petitions and responses.
• Advise on sensitive client interviews and trauma-informed representation.
• Identify admissibility and status issues; coordinate cross-practice referrals.
• Mentor and onboard attorneys; provide escalated guidance on complex matters.
• Monitor deadlines, workload distribution, and quality trends.

Skills

Immigration law

People management

Legal writing

Case strategy

Collaboration

Education

J.D. and bar license

Job description

Join the Fastest-Growing Law Firm in the U.S. - C.R. Wannamaker Law, PLLC!

Now Certified as a Great Place To Work! Recognized by Inc. 5000 as the Fastest-Growing Law Firm in the U.S., C.R. Wannamaker Law, PLLC is rewriting the story of immigration law! We're a powerhouse of bold, compassionate advocates fighting for justice - and we know that exceptional billing and client care are key to our success. If you're ready to make a real, lasting impact, we want YOU on our team!

Job Summary

The Lead VAWA & USCIS Attorney provides legal leadership, case-strategy direction, and quality control for assigned humanitarian and USCIS-focused immigration matters. With a reduced individual caseload, the position supports attorneys and legal staff handling VAWA-based relief and related USCIS applications, resolves complex case questions, and promotes accurate, timely, client-centered representation.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct case strategy and review eligibility, evidence, declarations, and filing approaches for VAWA self-petitions and related immigration benefits.
• Oversee preparation and quality review of USCIS petitions, applications, responses to Requests for Evidence, Notices of Intent to Deny, and other agency correspondence within the assigned practice.
• Advise on sensitive client interviews, confidentiality protections, trauma-informed representation, and appropriate handling of supporting documentation.
• Identify potential admissibility, waiver, adjustment-of-status, and procedural issues and coordinate cross-practice referrals or escalation when needed.
• Guide staff on USCIS filing requirements, receipt tracking, biometrics, interviews, follow-up requests, and timely case progression.
• Carry a reduced personal caseload to preserve capacity for legal strategy, quality control, mentoring, and escalation support.
• Provide day-to-day legal guidance to assigned attorneys and functional oversight to paralegals and legal assistants.
• Review attorney work product and filings for accuracy, completeness, legal sufficiency, deadlines, and compliance with professional-responsibility standards.
• Serve as an escalation point for complex matters, changes in case strategy, and elevated legal or ethical risk.
• Monitor case aging, filing deadlines, workload distribution, and quality trends; identify and escal resource or process concerns.
• Coordinate with lead paralegals and operations leadership on caseload distribution, workflow, training, and staffing needs.
• Mentor and onboard attorneys, deliver constructive feedback, and support department training and consistent legal practices.
• Participate in leadership meetings and collaborate with legal strategy and operational leadership on escalations and process improvements.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar license in good standing in a jurisdiction relevant to assigned duties.
• 3-5 years of immigration law experience, including meaningful experience in the assigned practice area.
• 1-2 years of people-management, supervisory, or team-leadership experience.
• Substantive experience with USCIS immigration practice and VAWA-based immigration relief, including eligibility analysis, evidence development, and agency filings.
• Demonstrated ability to manage legal work while directing, reviewing, and developing other attorneys.
• Strong legal writing, research, communication, organizational, and professional judgment skills.
• Ability to collaborate across distributed attorney, paralegal, and operations teams and appropriately elevate legal risk.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with related humanitarian relief, adjustment of status, waivers, and cross-practice coordination.
• Experience supervising geographically distributed teams and improving legal quality-control processes.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Provides functional, operational, and managerial legal oversight for assigned Associate Attorneys and functional legal direction to supporting paralegals and legal assistants, consistent with organizational reporting arrangements.