Land Law Examiner
Job Location:
Cañon City, CO - USA
Yearly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
Job Summary
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.
Rate of Pay by Location:
Silt Colorado Rate of Pay $40736 - $80243 per year.
Durango Colorado Rate of Pay $40736 - $80243 per year.
Canon City Colorado Rate of Pay $41811- $82362 per year.
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.
- Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
- Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
- Males born aftermust be registered for Selective Service.
- Direct Deposit participation required.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more visit are required to complete training obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
- 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.
- A financial disclosure report will be required for GS-09 within 30 days of appointment.
- You cannot hold an active real estate license nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period -OR- 2-year trial period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.
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 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 individuals employment should continue and that their appointment should be 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 or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 08/13/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300 Subpart F.
For current Federal employees if hours worked per week are not included on your resume you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees 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.
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 bachelors degree.
-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.
-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): I have successfully completed all of the requirements for a bachelors degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for this position as described above from an accredited college or university and meets one of the requirements for Superior Academic Achievement based on the following: (1) class standing (upper third standing in the graduating class of a college university or major subdivision such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration based on completed courses); (2) grade-point average (3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0) as recorded on the official transcript or as computed based on 4 years of education or (3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; (3) election to membership in a national scholastic honor society (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your official transcripts that show a confer/completion date and any additional documentation to support your response to this question). 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 Masters 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.
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. Pay will vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which youre selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate. If otherwise eligible and qualified you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS) recruitment or relocation incentive. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated visit: information
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 positions supervisor.
All 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 DOI Ethics Prohibitions U.S. Department of the Interior.
Applicants who include vulgar offensive or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
