Land Law Examiner

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to U.S. Citizens or Nationals; and Career transition eligibles (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

Position Overview
As a Land Law Examiner, you will play an important role in the management of public lands and resources by examining and adjudicating a wide variety of land and mineral cases. At the full performance level, you will independently research land status and ownership, analyze legal and factual issues, apply public land and mineral laws and regulations, and prepare decisions and other documents that support land and resource actions. This work combines detailed research, problem solving, written analysis, and coordination with applicants, other agencies, and the public.

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

• Review and process a wide range of land, realty, mining, and mineral cases for accuracy and completeness; develop facts and evidence; identify legal and factual issues; verify applicant qualifications, acreage, and land descriptions; and obtain additional information needed to make well-supported determinations.
• Examine and adjudicate land and realty actions involving rights-of-way, land exchanges and acquisitions, withdrawals, conveyances, occupancy and use, land sales, and other public land actions; determine applicable requirements, fees, bonding, limitations, reservations, and conditions.
• Review and process mineral leasing and mining cases involving permits, leases, mining claims, bonding, operator actions, agreements, and other mineral activities; determine applicant qualifications and evaluate cases for technical accuracy, legal adequacy, and compliance with applicable requirements.
• Research and apply public land, mineral, and Indian land laws, regulations, legal decisions, policies, manuals, and other authorities; analyze and reconcile conflicting information, determine which requirements apply, and develop legally supportable conclusions.
• Research and evaluate land ownership, title, rights, encumbrances, withdrawals, restrictions, and land status; review title documents and prepare leases, permits, grants, conveyance documents, and other records needed to complete land transactions.
• Prepare correspondence, notices, and decisions that clearly explain case facts, applicable requirements, conclusions, and required actions; recognize unusual, novel, policy-sensitive, or potentially precedent-setting matters that require higher-level review.
• Maintain accurate and complete case information in electronic data and recordkeeping systems; perform quality-control checks and ensure supporting documents and required environmental information are included in the official case record.
• Communicate and coordinate with applicants and their representatives, Bureau employees, Federal and State agencies, legal staff, public-land users, and members of the public to gather information, explain regulations and procedures, respond to inquiries, and address differences involving land and mineral applications and actions.

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

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• 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/.
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
• If selected at the GS-09 grade level, you will be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.

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

This probationary 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, 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-10/23/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

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.

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT - LAND LAW EXAMINING SERIES (0965)

In addition to the grade-level qualifications below, you must meet the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) through qualifying education or experience, as applicable:

Experience: You have experience directly related to examining or adjudicating cases under land and resource-related laws and regulations. Examples include reviewing applications or claims for public land use or disposal; processing leases, licenses, or permits for land or resource use; resolving land-use matters or conflicts; title searching or abstracting; or interpreting land records, survey plats, tract indexes, or legal documents when the work demonstrates an understanding of applicable land laws, regulations, and policies.

OR

Education for GS-07: You have graduate-level education, including law school, that included or was supplemented by at least 12 semester hours of coursework related to the administration of land laws. Examples include land surveying, cartography, land use or real estate law, land appraising, land use planning, water rights, mining laws, or legal instrument review and interpretation.

OR

Education for GS-09: You have qualifying graduate education with major study in a field related to the administration of land laws, such as the fields described above for GS-07.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE GS-07 LAND LAW EXAMINER

In addition to meeting the IOR, you must meet one of the following:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable to the GS-05 level or equivalent performing all of the following:

• Collecting and verifying factual information for routine land or minerals case actions, using established procedures to determine whether an application or claim is accurate and properly executed.
• Reviewing basic case records, land descriptions, or supporting documents to identify clear-cut facts and confirm standard requirements are met for routine applications or transactions.
• Drafting simple case decisions or standard correspondence for review and signature by higher-graded staff.
• Entering, updating, and maintaining case information in recordkeeping systems and ensuring accuracy of data used for routine case processing.

OR

EDUCATION: You have completed one full year of graduate-level education related to the position that also satisfies the GS-07 education provision of the IOR above and demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work.

One year of full-time graduate education is the number of credit hours the school considers one year of full-time study; if this cannot be determined, 18 semester hours is considered one full year.

OR

SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT (SAA): You successfully completed a bachelor's degree in a directly related field that included at least 12 semester hours of coursework related to the administration of land laws AND meet one of the following: (1) Class Standing: rank in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (GPA): earn a GPA of (a) 3.0 or higher out of 4.0 ("B" or better) based on four years of education or courses completed during the final two years; OR (b) 3.5 or higher out of 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on required courses completed in the major field or during the final two years. GPA is rounded to one decimal place (e.g., 2.95 = 3.0; 2.94 = 2.9); OR (3) Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. Freshman honor societies do not qualify.

OR

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: You have qualifying graduate education and specialized experience that together equal at least 100 percent of the GS-07 requirement and also satisfy the IOR above.

Divide your months of qualifying experience by 12 and your qualifying graduate semester hours by the number your school considers one full year (18 semester hours if not otherwise established). Add the percentages; the total must equal at least 100 percent. Required related coursework is prorated consistent with OPM standards.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE GS-09 LAND LAW EXAMINER

In addition to meeting the IOR, you must meet one of the following:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable to the GS-07 level or equivalent performing all of the following:

• Developing, verifying, and analyzing factual information and evidence for moderately difficult land or minerals case actions, including determining the accuracy and proper execution of applications or claims and applicant qualifications for requested rights.
• Examining and processing land or minerals applications, claims, legal instruments, land descriptions, titles, tract maps, or related case records and applying laws, regulations, policies, guides, and precedents to determine sufficiency, compliance, or appropriate case action.
• Researching statutes, regulations, precedents, opinions, manuals, or case records and preparing correspondence, notices, or adjudication decisions that organize facts, findings, conclusions, requirements, and appropriate case actions.
• Maintaining and quality-checking case information in data or recordkeeping systems and communicating with applicants, representatives, agency personnel, or the public to obtain, clarify, or provide factual information concerning land or minerals transactions.

OR

EDUCATION: You have a master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR an LL.B. or J.D., if related. Your education must be related to the position, satisfy the GS-09-and-above education provision of the IOR above, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work.

OR

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: You have qualifying graduate education and specialized experience that together equal at least 100 percent of the GS-09 requirement. Only graduate education beyond the amount required for the next lower grade may be credited.

The percentage of qualifying graduate education beyond the first full year, plus the percentage of qualifying GS-07-level specialized experience, must equal at least 100 percent. Your education and/or experience must also satisfy the IOR above.

Other Information:

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position.

Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into the following categories:

• Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position

• Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job

• Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

In addition to the application and minimum qualifications questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the USA Hire Assessment, if required.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Veterans' preference will be based solely on the claimed preference. Your eligibility will not be changed based on the documentation provided. If you are uncertain which preference to claim, you can learn more by visiting the VetGuide.

Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/23/2026 - unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement:

1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. 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. 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. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
2. Complete All Required Assessment(s).
3. All college transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable.
4. Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (member 4 copy) or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.va.gov/records/ or call 1-800-827-1000. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active-duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
5. Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

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.

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