About this role
Position Summary
The Director of Policy leads Ellis Porter’s firmwide response to developments in immigration law, regulation, agency policy, and litigation. The Director identifies which changes matter, analyzes their impact with practice leaders, publishes coordinated guidance, and makes sure the resulting actions are completed. The Director also represents the firm externally. This includes building relationships with AILA, federal agencies, the federal bar, and peer firms, and briefing employer (B2B) clients on the policy changes that affect them.
What You'll Do:
Policy Monitoring and Analysis
- Track legislation, regulations, agency guidance, court decisions, and implementation changes that affect the firm’s practices.
- Prioritize developments by client impact, urgency, and relevance. Distinguish between proposals, operative requirements, litigation uncertainty, and observed agency behavior.
- Lead analysis across practice groups to identify affected services, client populations, pending matters, filing strategy, and timing.
- Work with practice specialists to develop the firm’s interpretation and recommended response.
Firm Guidance and Implementation
- Document the firm’s position on each material development, including any justified practice-specific differences.
- Assign action owners and deadlines, track completion, and escalate overdue or unresolved issues.
- Issue provisional guidance on urgent developments through a preauthorized process, with identified uncertainties and a review date.
- Partner with Knowledge Management, Innovation, and Product to update systems, templates, workflows, and the firm’s searchable guidance library.
- Coordinate with the Director of Legal Quality & Standards (HSI) and practice group leaders so that the firm’s position is implemented consistently.
Attorney Enablement and Client Briefings
- Publish concise, practical guidance on what changed, whom it affects, what attorneys should do, and what remains uncertain.
- Produce urgent alerts as needed, a weekly digest of actionable developments, and approved client-facing language and FAQs.
- Lead internal briefings for attorneys, practice leaders, and firm leadership.
- Brief employer (B2B) clients on relevant immigration policy updates through webinars, account briefings, and written alerts, in coordination with relationship attorneys and client teams.
External Advocacy and Relationship Building
- Hold an active leadership role in AILA at the national or chapter level, including committee and liaison roles.
- Build working relationships with stakeholders at DHS, USCIS, the Department of State, and other relevant agencies. Participate in stakeholder engagements and liaison meetings to understand agency priorities and upcoming changes.
- Over time, and as the political environment allows, develop relationships with government officials and political appointees to anticipate policy direction and share practitioner and client perspectives.
- Build relationships with other immigration law firms and coalitions to share intelligence and coordinate on issues of common concern.
- Lead or coordinate the firm’s public comments on proposed rules, and support amicus and bar association advocacy with leadership approval.
- Represent the firm through speaking engagements, publications, and approved media commentary.
Litigation Relationships
- Build relationships with federal litigators and the federal bar, and monitor relevant litigation.
- Identify opportunities to connect affected clients with outside counsel. Coordinate approved outreach with responsible attorneys, addressing suitability, informed client choice, confidentiality, and handoff.
- Outside counsel conducts all litigation, and firm leadership approves any firm commitments.
Other Duties
- Report regularly to firm leadership on emerging risks, opportunities, and external engagement.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
What Skills and Experience You'll Bring:
Education and Licensure
- J.D. from an accredited law school.
- Active bar admission in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
Required Experience
- 10+ years of immigration law practice, with broad knowledge across the areas the firm practices.
- Demonstrated experience analyzing and communicating complex legal, regulatory, and litigation developments.
- Experience working across teams and moving decisions through to implementation.
- Leadership in AILA, such as committee, liaison, or chapter roles.
Preferred Experience
- Established relationships with the federal bar, federal litigators, or immigration advocacy organizations.
- Experience engaging with DHS, USCIS, the Department of State, or other agencies through stakeholder, liaison, or comment processes.
- Experience presenting to employer or corporate audiences on immigration policy.
- Experience with regulatory comment drafting, amicus briefs, or coordinated bar advocacy.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Sound legal judgment and the ability to synthesize fast-moving developments into clear, practical guidance.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills for attorney, leadership, client, and external audiences.
- Ability to influence and build trust without direct authority.
- Strong organizational and follow-through skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities under tight timelines.
- High standards of discretion, confidentiality, and professional ethics.