EB-1A Associate Attorney

About Meltzer Hellrung

We strive to be the “new generation immigration solutions” provider with an innovative spirit to disrupt and constantly improve the immigration process for companies, employees and their families.  

Founded in 2014, Meltzer Hellrung leverages technology, a service-oriented mindset, and a compassionate approach to assist high-growth corporations in scaling their immigration programs, increasing their access to talent, and expanding operations into new markets.

Our values describe the essence of our firm:

• We Are Authentic: We express our ideas, concerns, and are accepted for who we are. We share our quirks, strengths, vulnerabilities, and our interests. We value honesty and openness to foster an environment where everyone feels valued and accepted.
• We Take Ownership: We embrace our roles, responsibilities, and work with a sense of accountability and integrity. We take full responsibility for actions and outcomes. Owning our work honors our colleagues and those we seek to help.
• We Are Resilient: We bear the weight of our clients' expectations as their advocates and persevere through setbacks. We pursue all options to help achieve the best outcomes for our clients.
• We Are Growth-Minded: We approach our service, our organization, and our careers with an innovative spirit. We look for ways to improve and progress as individuals and as a team. We continually look to evolve and add value.

About Voyager

We launched our proprietary immigration platform in 2022 to ensure that we deliver on our promise of service that is transparent, fast, and secure. Voyager appropriately reduces information silos to ensure important case and immigration status details are available to all stakeholders, reducing communication burdens and overall confusion. 

About the Role

Meltzer Hellrung is building out its complex individual petitions group, focused on working with high-skilled individuals in pursuing O-1, EB-1A, EB-1B, and NIW petitions. Meltzer Hellrung assesses risk for clients at the consultation stage and is willing to work with individuals who accept the risks involved, as long as applications are not frivolous. Meltzer Hellrung does not turn away applicants because the firm cannot confidently guarantee approvals. 

The firm's Associate Attorney / Sr. Associate Attorney - Complex Individual Petitions position will support and lead individuals (and sometimes their employers) through the process of securing work visas and green cards for foreign national employees. Meltzer Hellrung's clients span from individual entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies and venture-backed unicorns.

The Associate Attorney / Sr. Associate Attorney - Complex Individual Petitions is fundamentally responsible for helping clients make strategic decisions in structuring applications, determining what visas to apply for, and the best way to secure those benefits. The Associate Attorney / Sr. Associate Attorney - Complex Individual Petitions collaborates with other attorneys and paralegals to prepare and review petitions to the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, and the Department of State. 

The practice is fast-moving and deadline-driven, requiring excellent prioritization across multiple active matters, consultations, and client communications each day. A significant part of the job is responding to communication from clients by email and phone.

Location: Offered in Chicago and remotely, including anywhere in the world.

Availability: Immediate Contract, Full-Time

New hires located outside of Chicago are expected to report to the Chicago office for one week upon starting for in-person training. In addition, remote employees are expected to come to Chicago once per quarter for firm events. The firm will cover the cost of travel.

Responsibilities:

• Evaluate cases and assist in providing case strategies and/or solutions to issues
• Guide clients and employees through immigration processes
• Conduct regular phone calls with clients regarding legal updates, immigration process updates, company immigration policy, and best practices
• Review petitions and responses to governmental inquiries for US immigration benefits prepared by paralegals and junior attorneys
• Draft complex narratives and legal arguments for EB-1A, EB-1B, NIW, and O-1 petitions and related RFEs / NOIDs
• Respond to client and foreign national communication
• Provides support and leadership to assigned team(s), including junior attorneys and paralegals
• Provide coverage for attorneys on vacation and leave of absence
• May liaise with other attorneys or departments in the firm on projects and initiatives
• Perform legal research and prepare legal memoranda and/or legal briefs
• Maintain professionalism, responsiveness, and sound boundaries in high-expectation client relationships
• Develop criterion-by-criterion case strategies and evidentiary plans for O-1, EB-1A, EB-1B, and NIW matters.
• Advise clients on evidentiary sufficiency, including media documentation, recommendation letters, expert letters, authorship/judging evidence, translations, and exhibit strategy.

Experience Required:

• Licensed attorney in the United States
• At least 3 years of experience in a high-volume business immigration environment
• Demonstrated expertise with O-1, EB-1A, EB-1B, and NIW processes. Expertise is demonstrated by having at least two years of experience working dedicated to these complex petitions, or at least four years of experience where the attorney has been at least 30% dedicated to similar petitions
• Experience independently managing client account relationships
• Experience managing paralegals for application preparation
• Demonstrated ability to generate and keep clients is strongly desired.

Benefits: Found at https://www.meltzerhellrung.com/careers/

Salary Range: $85-$150K and is commensurate with location, experience and background. This position also has the opportunity to receive origination commissions and an annual bonus. 

We are an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.