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Staff Attorney Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Legal Aid Bureau

Staff Attorney

Hughesville, MD · On-site

$76K - $118K/yr

Staff attorneys handle all functions related to casework, from initial intake through representation of clients in all relevant courts and proceedings. Staff attorneys may be expected to work on ...

City of Monroe (NC)

STAFF ATTORNEY

Monroe, NC

$87K - $111K/yr

The Staff Attorney will work under the supervision of the City Attorney assisting in providing day-to-day legal services to City management and departments with considerable leeway to exercise ...

Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee

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Staff Attorney

Savannah, GA · On-site

$122K - $152K/yr

Staff Attorney The Office of O. Byron Meredith III, Standing Chapter 13 Trustee, is seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented staff attorney to join its team. This position offers a unique ...

Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee

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Staff Attorney

Savannah, GA · On-site

$122K - $152K/yr

Staff Attorney The Office of O. Byron Meredith III, Standing Chapter 13 Trustee, is seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented staff attorney to join its team. This position offers a unique ...

Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee

Be Seen First

Staff Attorney

Savannah, GA · On-site

$122K - $152K/yr

Staff Attorney The Office of O. Byron Meredith III, Standing Chapter 13 Trustee, is seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented staff attorney to join its team. This position offers a unique ...

Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee

Be Seen First

Staff Attorney

Savannah, GA · On-site

$122K - $152K/yr

Staff Attorney The Office of O. Byron Meredith III, Standing Chapter 13 Trustee, is seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented staff attorney to join its team. This position offers a unique ...

CHIRLA

Staff Attorney

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$72K - $78K/yr

JOB POSTING - Staff Attorney The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1986. CHIRLA is a California leader with national impact made of diverse ...

Center for Food Safety

Staff Attorney

Portland, OR · On-site

$87K - $133K/yr

The Staff Attorney should have at least four years of litigation experience, including clerkships and/or fellowships. CFS Staff Attorneys develop and prosecute precedent-setting cases in furtherance ...

Yeshiva University

$103K - $107K/yr

Staff Attorney Apply/Register Job no: 498905 Work type: Staff Full-time Department: Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Location: Brookdale Center, 55 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY Categories: Legal Position ...

Legal Aid Bureau

Staff Attorney

Baltimore, MD · On-site

$76K - $118K/yr

Staff attorneys will be expected to work with other attorneys, law graduates, law clerks, legal assistants, paralegals, social workers, and students on cases or projects. They must maintain all case ...

Protouch Staffing

Staff Attorney

San Francisco, CA · On-site +1

$72K - $105K/yr

Staff Attorney - Discovery & Litigation Support Location: Remote or Onsite (depending on candidate preference and location) Employment Type: Full-Time We are currently hiring a Staff Attorney to ...

Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee

Be Seen First

Staff Attorney

Savannah, GA · On-site

$122K - $152K/yr

Staff Attorney The Office of O. Byron Meredith III, Standing Chapter 13 Trustee, is seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented staff attorney to join its team. This position offers a unique ...

Office of the Chapter 13 Trustee

Be Seen First

Staff Attorney

Savannah, GA · On-site

$122K - $152K/yr

Staff Attorney The Office of O. Byron Meredith III, Standing Chapter 13 Trustee, is seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented staff attorney to join its team. This position offers a unique ...

Sher Edling LLP

Staff Attorney

San Francisco, CA · On-site +1

$72K - $105K/yr

The Staff Attorney's core job duties include a variety of discovery-related tasks such as document review, coding, and synthesis; legal and factual research; and drafting discovery-related documents.

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How much do staff attorney jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for staff attorney in the United States is $91,446.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $70,500.00 and $106,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Staff Attorney vs Associate Attorney?

AspectStaff AttorneyAssociate Attorney
Required CredentialsJuris Doctor (JD), bar admissionJuris Doctor (JD), bar admission
Work EnvironmentLaw firms, legal departments, nonprofitsLaw firms, corporate legal teams, government agencies
Employer & Industry UsageLegal organizations, nonprofits, governmentPrivate law firms, corporate legal departments
Common Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding roles, career paths, responsibilitiesEntry-level to mid-level legal roles, career progression

Both Staff Attorneys and Associate Attorneys typically hold a JD and are bar-certified. Staff Attorneys often work in legal departments or nonprofits, focusing on specific legal tasks without client management, while Associate Attorneys usually work in law firms or corporate settings, handling client cases and gaining experience. The roles are similar but differ mainly in work environment and responsibilities, with Staff Attorneys often having more specialized or in-house roles.

What Is a Staff Attorney?

A staff attorney works for a law firm or another organization. Staff attorneys are associates with law degrees who have passed the Bar Exam in their states. They research, analyze, and write about complex legal issues. Duties and responsibilities of all staff attorney jobs include legal research and support to the partners in a law firm. Staff attorneys may also draft portions of legal opinions based on their research as well as verify cited sources, and review documents at the request of a partner. Staff attorney is a good position for attorneys who wish to continue in the legal profession.

What is a staff attorney?

A staff attorney is a licensed lawyer employed by an organization, law firm, nonprofit, or government agency to provide legal advice, conduct research, draft documents, and represent clients or the organization in legal matters. Unlike partners or associates who may have client development or managerial responsibilities, staff attorneys typically focus on substantive legal work and supporting ongoing cases. Their duties often include reviewing and preparing legal documents, assisting with litigation, and ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Staff attorneys play a vital role in supporting legal teams and ensuring that legal services are delivered efficiently and effectively.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Staff Attorney, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Staff Attorney, you need a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, bar admission, strong legal research, and writing abilities. Familiarity with legal research platforms like Westlaw or LexisNexis, and case management systems, is typically required. Outstanding analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication skills help you excel in supporting clients and collaborating with colleagues. These competencies are essential for delivering high-quality legal counsel, ensuring compliance, and effectively managing caseloads in a legal environment.

What are some common challenges Staff Attorneys face when managing multiple cases simultaneously?

Staff Attorneys often juggle a high volume of cases, each with distinct deadlines and documentation requirements. Balancing priorities while maintaining attention to detail can be challenging, especially when urgent matters arise unexpectedly. Effective time management and strong organizational skills are essential for meeting court deadlines and collaborating with colleagues, such as paralegals and senior attorneys. Regular communication with team members and leveraging case management software can help alleviate these challenges and ensure smooth workflow.
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Staff Attorney jobs near you
Infographic showing various Staff Attorney job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Locum Tenens, 1% As Needed, 76% Full Time, 15% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $91,446 per year, or $44 per hour.

Staff Attorney

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights

Los Angeles, CA • On-site

$72K - $78K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 9 days ago

Job description

JOB POSTING - Staff Attorney
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1986. CHIRLA is a California leader with national impact made of diverse immigrant families and individuals who act as agents of social change to achieve a world with freedom of mobility, full human rights, and true participatory democracy. CHIRLA organizes and serves individuals, institutions and coalitions to build power, transform public opinions, and change policies to achieve full human, civil and labor rights. Guided by power, love and vision of our community, CHIRLA embraces and drives progressive social change.
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is seeking a Staff Attorney who will be a member of the legal department and who may be assigned to work primarily with one or more of the legal teams as needed. Accordingly, the types and amounts of cases assigned to a staff member will reflect the needs of the clients serviced by the team(s) they are assigned to or the needs of clients across the legal department as a whole.
The Staff Attorney will assist clients pursue immigration benefits for, and provide representation of clients in applications, hearings or proceedings before a variety of courts, tribunals and agencies as needed to safeguard and/or improve their immigration status within the United States. Further, the Staff Attorney is also responsible for pursuing community-based systemic reform and advocacy aimed at reforming unforgiving federal immigration laws. The Staff Attorney will provide consultations to potential new clients on a regular basis, in particular at Legal Triage, and other events. The staff attorney will provide clients with effective, responsive, compassionate, efficient and zealous representation. The staff attorney supervises and directs the efforts of paralegals or other support staff assigned to help their client's cases.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Immigration Legal Assistance:
  • Provide representation to clients with cases involving issues such as criminal history, immigration law violations, family law issues, current or previous removal proceedings, appeals, or other issues related to their immigration matters as needed.
  • Responsible for the preparation, review, revision and submission of any documents needed to address a client's immigration issues, including but not limited to, applications, motions, legal memos or briefs, petitions or requests, before USCIS and/or immigration court proceedings.
  • Represent individuals before federal, state or local courts, agencies or tribunals at all levels as needed to properly address and resolve issues for clients in their cases. Such a representation should follow both ethical and professional responsibility obligations as well as funder requirements.
  • Responsible for creating and communicating timelines and tasks to supervisors, colleagues, and subordinate staff that will properly and efficiently resolve issues to achieve the best possible outcome for clients. Also responsible for communicating this information to clients.
  • Ability to work effectively under pressure with urgent deadlines.
  • Research and analyze complex and straightforward legal matters pertaining to own caseload and assuming responsibility and risk for outcomes of client cases.
  • Screen potential clients for all potential and available immigration benefits that they may qualify for and use that information to assess their ability to successfully pursue and obtain those benefits.
  • Communicate to potential clients an assessment or evaluation of their immigration cases or circumstances, including but not limited to any rights these individuals possess, any requirements these individuals must complete, and any deadlines they must comply with.
  • Stay up to date with changes in immigration law and other immigration related developments to be able to provide clients with the best representation possible in their immigration matters.
  • Make appropriate referrals as necessary for immigration legal services beyond the scope of the program or one's own competencies, and for other social service needs.
  • Assume caseload of any departing staff member as needed.
Staff Supervision:
  • Conduct review of all applications and other documents prepared by subordinate staff that are to be filed with USCIS, the Immigration Court, or other courts, agencies or tribunals prior to their submission. Provide revisions and directions for other staff assigned to the case in order to effect necessary changes or to take actions to properly represent the client.
  • Provide coaching and mentorship whenever possible to colleagues and subordinate staff to improve their knowledge, skills, accuracy, and efficacy in understanding the practice of the various areas law related to our clients' cases and to improve the quality of service provided to clients.
Customer Service and Community Outreach:
  • Communicate and interact with clients with professionalism, respect, compassion, and sensitivity to their life circumstances and potential or actual trauma that they have suffered.
  • Maintain regular communication with clients and provide them with updates regarding their cases no later than 90 days after the last case update provided to them.
  • Respond to any client communications or inquiries no later than within 48 - 72 hours of receipt of message from client(s).
  • Participate at in-person legal screening events, community presentations, and other special events as scheduled. For example, participation is required on Saturday Legal Triage events, which are scheduled monthly on Saturday mornings (7A - 11A) throughout the year.
Reporting Obligations and Program Efficiency:
  • Update case notes with any developments or client interactions within 48 - 72 hours to provide accurate and up to date information for other staff to rely on in a timely manner.
  • Update and maintain all current databases, tracking sheets or other documents mandated by policies and procedures issued by CHIRLA, the legal department, and any legal team(s) to which they are assigned.
  • Work closely and diligently with all other staff to represent clients in their legal matters ethically, efficiently and properly to maximize client outcomes and deliverable requirements for funders.
  • Perform other duties and responsibilities as necessary to address urgent issues or priorities either within their assigned team(s), other legal department teams, or for the legal department as a whole.
SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
Required
  • Active attorney license and good standing with a CA State Bar
  • At least one year's experience practicing immigration law.
  • Demonstrated commitment to social justice, progressive social change, empowering communities' rights and justice
  • A high level of integrity and the ability to maintain confidentiality
  • Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing
  • Must be flexible to work early morning, evenings and Saturdays during clinical/consultations times as needed
  • May require some travel in and out of California
Preferred
  • Fluency or high proficiency in the Spanish language and/or other languages that would allow communication with existing, new or potential clients is preferred as the job requires extensive legal counseling and representation with clients who primarily speak languages other than English.
  • Experience in assisting noncitizens applying for a wide variety of immigration benefits and processes before USCIS and/or the Immigration Court.
  • Engaging communication skills that can effectively and independently communicate with diverse audiences and network collaboratively among a variety of stakeholder groups.
  • Excellent creative problem solving, strategic thinking, and analytical skills.
  • Excellent organizational skills and strong attention to detail.
  • Experience with providing direct services to the community, ideally in a nonprofit setting.
  • Experience working with survivors of trauma, victims of violence, and human trafficking
  • Experience working with underserved and diverse populations.
  • Ability to be comfortable in a collaborative, consultative environment.
Desired Traits or Characteristic
  • Highly self-motivated, creative, takes initiative, ability to learn quickly, flexible and able to work as part of an interdisciplinary team of legal staff.
  • Demonstrated experience working effectively as part of a team and with colleagues of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, both in person and within a remote work environment.
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships within their team, within the legal department and throughout the organization.
  • Demonstrated ability to be proactive in their approach to assigned responsibilities, completing tasks and/or using technology and systems to maximize efficiency.
  • Strong commitment to CHIRLA's mission of empowering low-income community groups.

JOB TITLE: Staff Attorney
Salary & Benefits: $72,176 -- $78,065
CHIRLA offers a competitive salary based on qualifications and an excellent benefit package, which includes generous time off benefits, 401K Plan, health, dental and vision plans.
FLSA Classification: Exempt/Hourly, full-time regular
Classification: CHIRLA recognizes a staff bargaining unit affiliated with AFSCME Local 4501. This position is included in CHIRLA's bargaining unit and covered under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
REPORTS TO: Managing Attorney or Supervising Staff Attorney
CLOSING DATE OF THIS POSITION: Position will remain open until filled
LOCATION: Multiple branch office locations available
CHIRLA is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit and administers all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, appointment, promotion, compensation, benefits, transfers, training and educational opportunities without regard to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, genetic information as defined by the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, race, religion or religious creed, color, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age (40 or older), sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS status, pregnancy or pregnancy related disability, military or veteran status or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation. All such discrimination is unlawful. It also prohibits unlawful discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics.
Open Positions are available at: www.CHIRLA.org/Career Center use link -
Career Center - The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
All Applicants will be required to complete an Application for Employment prior to any scheduled interview.

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