Land Law Examiner

You will serve as a Land Law Examiner with Bureau of Land Management adjudicating rights and privileges under the laws that govern the use and disposition of public lands and resources. You will research and make decisions on applications and claims for land use, minerals leasing, and mining on public lands. Pay will vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

Duties

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Collects data on a variety of assigned cases related to lands, oil and gas, mining or minerals cases.
• Determines the accuracy and proper execution of applications or claims and the qualifications of applicants for legal rights as requested.
• Adjudicate routine lands, mining, or mineral leasing applications filed which have more complex statutory and regulatory provisions, require development and review of a considerable amount of data and involve controversial factual situations.
• Determines the accuracy and proper execution of applications or claims and the qualifications of applicants.
• Prepares routine correspondence, including decisions, to process cases.
• Drafts progressively complex adjudication decisions (concerning lands, mining, oil and gas, or mineral leasing cases).
• Independently gathers and researches information and data necessary to complete and adjudicate a legal document.
• Utilizes data, systems and applications to collect, enter, manipulate, update and maintain data according to prescribed Bureau and program standards.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Salary

• $41,811 - $82,362/year

Conditions of Employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
• You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
• A financial disclosure report will be required for the GS-09 within 30 days of appointment.
• You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 1-3 nights per month. You may be required to obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary period of trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/18/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. All candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level:

Experience:To qualify, you must possess at least three (3) years of general experience one (1) year of which was equivalent to at least a GS-4. General experience is defined as demonstrated experience: that provided a familiarity with real property laws and legal land descriptions, land titles, tract maps, and legal documents, or other experience that involved explanation, application, or interpretation of laws, regulations, policies, etc. Such experience may have been gained in positions such as law clerk, claims examiner, contact representative, or other work dealing with laws, rules, regulations, procedures, etc.

-OR-

Education: Four-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree. You must include hours per week and transcripts.

-OR-

Combination of education and experience as listed above. You must include hours per week and transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level:

Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:

• Determining the accuracy and proper execution of applications or claims and the qualifications of applicants for legal rights as requested;
• Adjudicating routine lands, mining, or mineral leasing applications;
• Answering inquiries from the public or internal customers regarding public land laws and regulations;
• Preparing routine correspondence.

You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

Education: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate level education. This includes or supplemented by 12 semester hours of course work related to the administration of land laws. Examples: include course work in land surveying, cartography, land use law, real estate law, land appraising, land use planning, water rights, mining laws, or legal instrument review and interpretation. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

Combination of education and experience as listed above. You must include hours per week and transcripts.

-OR-

Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): Successfully completed a bachelor's degree in a directly related field AND meet one of the following: (1) Class Standing: rank in the upper 3rd of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, based on the completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (GPA): earn a GPA of (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on 4 years of education, or based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum -or- (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field, or the required courses completed during the final two years. Note: GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, for example, 2.95 = 3.0, 2.94 = 2.9; OR (3) Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society. Applicants applying under SAA must have 12 semester hours of course work related to the administration of land laws. Examples include course work in land surveying, cartography, land use law, real estate law, land appraising, land use planning, water rights, mining laws, or legal instrument review and interpretation. Transcripts must be provided.

To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level:

Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience:

• Processing and/or adjudicating basic lands and minerals cases;
• Researching and reviewing legal land descriptions and ownership status from various map and records sources;
• Using basic computer and software applications to handle data; and
• Communicating effectively with internal and external customers on routine topics.

You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

Education: Successful completion of at least a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D in a field of study such as land surveying, cartography, land use law, real estate law, land appraising, land use planning, water rights, mining laws, or legal instrument review and interpretation. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

Combination of education and experience as listed above. You must include hours per week and transcripts.

Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification Other Information This position will be filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Eligibility is limited to applicants who reside within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. For this announcement, the local commuting area is the area from which individuals can reasonably commute to the duty station under normal conditions. The defined vicinity for this position is: 75 miles from BLM Colorado Office 3028 E. Main St. Canon City, CO 81212. You must provide proof of residency within the defined vicinity (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy, etc.). See the Required Documents section for information on how to verify current residence. Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor. All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions. Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/18/2026:

1. Two Page Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. Note: Current and former Federal employees should include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience. If experience is for a career ladder position, please ensure to clearly distinguish the job duties for each grade level and how long you were working in each grade level. Resume Builder: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
2. Proof of residence (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy). SF-50 cannot be accepted as proof of residence.
3. All college transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable.
4. Veteran Documentation, if applicable, such as: DD-214, SF15, letter from Veteran Affairs, etc.
5. Current or prior federal employees who hold or have held a non-temporary appointment in the federal competitive or excepted service within the previous 52 weeks must submit official documentation (i.e. SF50s) proving they meet time-in-grade requirements to be eligible for the grade level of this announcement.

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. To receive consideration, your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/18/2026.

You must provide documentation to support your eligibility and qualification claims. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibility sections to ensure you submit the appropriate information. You will only be considered for eligibilities for which you have provided the required supporting documentation.

Applications may be submitted through USAJOBS or through other authorized methods identified by the agency (e.g., third-party platforms or local outreach efforts) to support targeted recruitment under this authority.

Applicants submitting materials outside of USAJOBS must:

• Submit a complete application package by the 09/18/2026 of this announcement, and

• Ensure all materials are formatted and consistent with the application instructions outlined in this announcement, including resume requirements and supporting documentation.

All applications, regardless of submission method, will be evaluated using the same criteria and requirements to ensure a fair and equitable hiring process.

Applications received after the closing date, or that do not meet the requirements outlined in this announcement, will not be considered.

USAJOBS Application Instructions

1. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
2. Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
   • Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application"
   • To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13030079
3. Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
4. Select documents you want included in this application.
5. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
6. Select if you want to include your demographic information.
7. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
8. Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
9. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
   • Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
10. Review and Submit Application.
11. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
12. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
    • To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
    • Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.