Legal Engineer

Lawhive

. Act as the subject-matter lead for removal defense, mapping the end-to-end matter lifecycle from intake and NTA review through master and individual hearings, relief applications, BIA appeals and bond.

Posted 11/10/2026full-timeNew York City • New York • United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $190,000 - $270,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in removal defense and immigration law, with a strong ability to translate legal knowledge into actionable product requirements and workflows. Proficient in leveraging technology to enhance immigration practices and improve operational efficiency.

Highest-signal resume keywords

JD And Active Admission To US State Bar3+ Years Practicing Removal DefenseFamiliarity With Federal Court WorkHands-On Comfort With TechnologyClear Communication With Attorneys And Engineers

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Removal DefenseImmigration Court Caseload ManagementEOIR FilingsI-589 ApplicationsCancellation Of Removal PackagesEvidence IndexingCountry Conditions ResearchWorkflow AutomationCase Management System SetupAI Risk Assessment

Soft Skills

Good JudgementClear CommunicationComfort With AmbiguityPrioritization Skills

Certifications & Qualifications

JDActive Admission To US State Bar

Industry Keywords

Removal DefenseImmigration LawFederal Court WorkHabeas PetitionsMandamus ActionsLegal Data ManagementProduct DevelopmentTraining And WorkshopsPartner-Firm CollaborationImmigration Practice Areas

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Act as the subject-matter lead for removal defense, mapping the end-to-end matter lifecycle from intake and NTA review through master and individual hearings, relief applications, BIA appeals and bond.
Turn legal knowledge into product requirements, workflows and acceptance criteria for engineers.
Design, test and refine prompts, templates and checks for the AI agent's immigration work, including EOIR filings, I-589 and cancellation of removal packages, evidence indexes and country conditions research.
Build evaluation sets from real matter types and judge output quality as a practitioner.
Keep the product current as policy, EOIR practice and agency guidance change, maintaining the firm's context layer with the Legal Data librarian.
Work with attorneys, paralegals and intake teams at partner firms to identify inefficiencies and improve the product or setup.
Run training and workshops, follow up on platform adoption and measure effects such as time per matter, filing turnaround and matters handled per attorney.
Bring partner-firm feedback to Product and help prioritize future development.
Write playbooks for configuring and supporting immigration firms.
Help determine how the model can extend to other immigration practice areas.

Requirements

What you’ll need

JD and active admission to at least one US state bar.
3+ years practicing removal defense, with your own caseload in immigration court: detained or non-detained, master and individual hearings, relief applications and appeals.
Familiarity with federal court work for immigration clients, such as habeas petitions and mandamus actions.
A clear view of where immigration practices lose time, and ideas for fixing it.
Hands-on comfort with technology. You've built workflows, templates or automations, set up a case management system or used generative AI seriously in your own practice. You don't need to be a programmer.
Good judgement on AI risk in a high-stakes practice area: what can be automated, what needs attorney review, and how to tell the difference.
Clear communication with both attorneys and engineers. You can explain a cancellation of removal standard to a developer and a data model to a managing partner.
Comfortable with ambiguity and with setting your own priorities in a fast-moving team.
Ability to work at least 3 days on-site per week.
Work authorization or visa sponsorship status must be addressed for the US or UK location.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Healthcare benefits: 'Premium' plan with 100% employee cover and 50% dependent cover
Vacation: 20 days + 11 Federal holidays + 1 day of Birthday leave
401k: Matching contribution up to 2% of salary
Meaningful early-stage share options
Work from anywhere for a month
Top-spec Macbook
Regular team building activities and socials!