Supervising Staff Attorney, Immigration

United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 166,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Telework options

PSLF eligibility

Transit subsidy

Health insurance

Life insurance

Pension plan

Vacation accrual

Job summary

United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco, CA, seeks a Supervisory Immigration Attorney to lead and manage immigration casework, supervise staff attorneys, and coordinate with court leadership.

Requires a J.D., at least 8 years post‑JD, significant immigration and supervisory experience, and active bar status. Telework options and a comprehensive benefits package are available.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Minimum of 8 years post-JD legal work experience, including significant immigration experience, with significant supervisory experience.
• Federal court experience.
• Active license to practice law in a U.S. state, territory, or D.C., with good standing.

Responsibilities

• Manage, assign, and track OSA’s immigration case work.
• Develop and lead efforts to improve immigration case processing.
• Supervise immigration staff attorneys.
• Maintain substantive knowledge of legal issues.
• Participate in hiring, training, and office administration.
• Collaborate and liaise with office leadership and other court units.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Ethics

Judgment

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Job description

$184,950 (CL 31)

San Francisco, CA

Please submit applications by September 16, 2026

The Office of Staff Attorneys (OSA) is accepting applications for the position of Supervisory Immigration Attorney. The Immigration Supervisor reports to the Chief Staff Attorney and is responsible for providing leadership within the office, managing immigration casework, and supervising immigration attorneys.

About the Office of Staff Attorneys

OSA is the central legal staff for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and is a highly collegial environment. OSA has subject area teams of attorneys who focus on civil, immigration, criminal, or habeas matters.

We value diversity and are committed to equity and inclusion in our workplace. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and seek a diverse pool of applicants in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, disability, religion, and socio-economic circumstance.

For more information, please visit: https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov.

About the Position

We’re looking for a strong communicator with strong ethics and solid judgment, who is comfortable operating in a fluid, complex environment, and with using new technology. The ideal candidate will be practical, flexible, and creative. The candidate will be both big picture and detail-oriented, able to understand and prioritize institutional needs, while fostering a positive workplace culture with clear expectations and benchmarks. To be successful in this position, the candidate must be adept at managing tight timelines and making decisions with a high level of personal accountability.

Representative Duties

• Manage, assign, and track OSA’s immigration case work
• Develop and lead efforts to improve immigration case processing
• Supervise immigration staff attorneys
• Maintain substantive knowledge of legal issues
• Participate in hiring, training, and office administration
• Collaborate and liaise with office leadership and other court units

Position Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school
• Minimum of 8 years post-JD legal work experience, including significant immigration experience, with significant supervisory experience.
• Federal court experience
• Proof that you are licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and an active member of the bar in good standing.

Total Rewards

• Salary: $184,950 (CL 31)
• Time Off: 13 vacation days; 13 sick leave days; 11 paid holidays
• Benefits: Employer subsidized health and life insurance plans. Dental, vision, flexible spending account, long-term care plans available. Employer sponsored pension plan and supplemental retirement contribution plans with employer match.
• Other Perks: Telework opportunities, eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, mass transit subsidy, reasonable work hours, team environment, creative people, and enhanced tenure-based vacation accrual.

Next Steps

Only candidates selected for an interview will be notified. Unsuccessful candidates will not receive notice. Applicants scheduled for interviews should advise the Human Resources department if any accommodation is needed for the interview. Travel and relocation expenses will not be reimbursed.

Conditions of Employment

To be employed by the judiciary, an applicant must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident in the process of applying for citizenship. Successful applicants are provisionally hired pending results of a background investigation and fingerprinting. Positions with the U.S. Courts are at-will, excepted service appointments, and may be terminated with or without cause by the Court. Employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees. Direct deposit of pay is required.

The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement, for any reason including, but not limited to, budgetary issues. Any modifications may occur without prior written or other notice.

Equity Focused Employer

We value diversity and are committed to equity and inclusion in our workplace. The Ninth Circuit encourages applications from all qualified individuals and seeks a diverse pool of applicants in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, disability, religion, and socio-economic circumstance.