Senior Immigration Attorney – Removal & Asylum

Latitude Legal Recruitment Limited; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits eligibility

Group Life, LTD & AD&D

401k plan

CLE & Professional Expense stipend

Job summary

Latitude is seeking an experienced Senior Immigration Attorney for a full-time, engagement-to-hire opportunity with a Chicagoland immigration law firm. The attorney will independently handle removal defense and asylum matters, appearing in immigration court, drafting filings, and counseling clients from inception to resolution.

Strong candidates will have 5+ years of substantive immigration law experience, including court appearances, case strategy, and high-volume workload management.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of substantive immigration law experience, including removal defense and asylum.
• Experience representing clients in immigration court from inception through resolution.
• Experience with master calendar hearings, individual merits hearings, bond hearings, and related EOIR proceedings.
• Ability to develop case strategy, manage deadlines, counsel clients, draft filings, and appear in court without significant supervision.
• Strong litigation, oral advocacy, legal research, and writing skills.
• Thrives in a fast-paced, high-volume law firm environment and moves efficiently between active matters.
• J.D. from an accredited law school and active license in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Outstanding professional references.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage removal defense and asylum matters from inception to resolution, including hearings.
• Appear in immigration court and develop case strategy with minimal supervision.
• Draft briefs and filings, counsel clients, and handle hearings.
• Transition opportunities may lead to permanent leadership role within the firm.

Skills

5+ years immigration law

Removal defense & asylum

Court representation experience

Case strategy development

Strong writing & advocacy

Hybrid/work-from-home adaptability

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Active license in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

Job description

Senior Immigration Attorney – Removal & Asylum (Hybrid / Full-Time Engagement-to-Hire)

Latitude is seeking an experienced Senior Immigration Attorney for a full-time, engagement-to-hire opportunity with an established Chicagoland immigration law firm. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced removal and asylum lawyer to take significant ownership of a growing practice area, with substantial autonomy, dedicated support, and the opportunity to transition into a permanent leadership role with the firm.

The successful attorney will independently manage removal defense and asylum matters from beginning to end, including appearing in immigration court, developing case strategy, drafting briefs and filings, counseling clients, and handling hearings without requiring substantive day-to-day supervision. The firm is specifically seeking a seasoned practitioner who can step in and immediately take ownership of an active caseload.

For a more senior attorney, including a solo practitioner or experienced immigration lawyer with an established portable book of business, the opportunity can be structured more broadly. The firm is prepared to provide the infrastructure—including office space, administrative and paralegal support, and marketing resources—necessary for the attorney to focus on practicing law and growing the removal and asylum practice. A portable book of business is not required, but candidates bringing meaningful existing business may be eligible for enhanced compensation and performance-based incentives upon permanent conversion.

The position will initially require regular work from the firm’s North Shore Chicago-area office, particularly during the introductory engagement period. The firm anticipates meaningful flexibility and the opportunity for a hybrid/WFH schedule once the attorney is established in the role. Fully remote arrangements may also be considered for exceptional senior candidates bringing a significant portable book of business.

Basic Requirements for the Senior Immigration Attorney – Removal & Asylum:

• 5+ years of substantive immigration law experience, with meaningful experience handling removal defense and asylum matters


• Significant experience independently representing clients in immigration court and handling removal matters from inception through resolution


• Experience with master calendar hearings, individual merits hearings, bond hearings, defensive asylum, motions, briefs, and related EOIR proceedings


• Ability to independently develop case strategy, manage deadlines, counsel clients, draft filings, and appear in court without significant supervision


• Strong litigation, oral advocacy, legal research, and writing skills


• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume law firm environment and move efficiently between active client matters


• Excellent judgment, responsiveness, organization, and client-service skills


• J.D. from an accredited law school


• Active license and good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction


• Outstanding professional references

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior responsibility for leading or independently managing a removal/asylum practice or significant caseload


• Existing portable book of immigration or other complementary legal business


• Experience with family-based immigration and adjustment-of-status matters


• Fluency in a language other than English (e.g., Polish, Russian, Spanish, or Ukrainian) is a plus, but not required


• Existing professional relationships or demonstrated ability to develop business within immigrant communities

Position Details:

• Type of role: Contract Law Firm Engagement-to-Hire


• Schedule: Full-time


• Location: Chicagoland; initially primarily on-site with flexibility to transition to a hybrid/WFH schedule. Fully remote arrangements may also be considered for exceptional candidates with a meaningful portable book of business.


• Practice Area: Immigration – Removal Defense & Asylum


• Start: As soon as possible


• Permanent Opportunity: The firm intends for the successful Contract Attorney to transition into a permanent role following a successful introductory engagement.


• Business Development: A book of business is not required. For attorneys bringing established portable business, the firm is open to developing a performance-based compensation/KPI structure in connection with permanent employment.


• Relocation: Relocation assistance may be available for exceptional candidates outside the Chicago area.

Compensation:

Pay: The annualized pay for this position ranges from $140,000 to $180,000+ when calculated on a full-time basis. Candidates with significant directly relevant experience and/or a meaningful portable book of business may warrant compensation above this range. Pay for contract engagements is based on multiple factors including but not limited to work experience, qualifications, credentials, location, market supply/demand, and the candidate’s preference.

For candidates who transition to permanent employment, the firm anticipates a base salary commensurate with experience. Senior attorneys bringing a verifiable portable book of business may also be eligible for a separate performance-based/KPI compensation structure tied to the business they generate and/or the performance of the practice.

Benefits:

Latitude contract professionals are usually W2 employees of Latitude and are eligible for full benefits when working in roles for 20 hours per week. Benefits-eligible Latitude contract professionals receive complimentary Group Life, LTD and AD&D. A qualified 401k plan is also available. Benefits-eligible Latitude Attorneys also receive a CLE and Professional Expense stipend.

Confidentiality

Latitude will not propose you to prospective clients without your prior consent. Candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted.

About Latitude

Latitude is a full-service flexible legal talent company serving corporate legal departments and law firms nationwide. From Fortune Global 100 companies to start-ups and Global 50 law firms to boutiques, clients turn to us for top-tier attorneys and other legal professionals.

Latitude specializes in providing highly skilled former in-house counsel and Big Law attorneys for flexible contract engagements and permanent positions in dozens of practice areas, including commercial contracting, data privacy, M&A, employment, litigation, and more.

Founded in 2013, Latitude is a Chambers and Partners globally-ranked flexible legal staffing company.

Latitude Contract Engagements & Secondments

Outstanding attorneys and other legal professionals who are seeking contract assignments or consulting/secondment roles choose to work with Latitude because of our competitive compensation and benefits, sophisticated and engaging work, a chance to work with great clients and peers, and a refreshing blend of freedom with self-designed boundaries. Our own experience as practicing attorneys and our client relationships enable us to effectively tailor our candidate proposals to the specific practice strengths and interpersonal attributes that matter most to our clients and to match our candidates with the opportunities that will be most fulfilling to them.

Our Specialty: Peer-Level Contract Attorneys.

Latitude Attorneys have the level of skill, experience, and judgment as would be expected of a permanent member of our client’s law firm and the versatility to step into challenging environments and hit the ground running. Latitude Attorneys serve on a full- or part-time contract basis and work remotely or on-site at the client office.

FAQ

Q: What other legal jobs do you have?

A: If you’re interested in working with Latitude but do not think this particular legal job is the right one for you, we encourage you to explore our other open opportunities or fill out a General Application by visiting us at latitudelegal.com/jobs/.

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For more information about Latitude, please visit latitudelegal.com.

Latitude is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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