FUL-Land Law Examiner (Minerals)
What you'd do
You will serve as a FUL-Land Law Examiner (Minerals)within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Division of Lands & Minerals, SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO. There will be ONE position filled at either the GS-07 or GS-09 level. However, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available. In addition, First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.
Major 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.
What you need to qualify
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/10/2026-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. To qualify for the GS-05:You must have 3 years, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least the GS-04 level in the Federal service orequivalent experience in the private or public sector with 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: I have completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in any field. -OR- Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate education. To qualify for the GS-07:You must possess at least one or more years of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is experience that equips the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position. This experience may include all of the following: 1) determining the accuracy and proper execution of applications or claims and the qualifications of applicants for legal rights as requested; 2) adjudicating routine lands, mining, or mineral leasing applications; 3) answering inquiries from the public or internal customers regarding public land laws and regulations; and 4) preparing routine correspondence -OR- Education: I have one full year of graduate level education that included or was supplement 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. -OR- Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): Successfully completed a bachelor's degree that was supplimented 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. 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) Grad-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. -OR- Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. To qualify for the GS-09: You must possess at least one or more years of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience is experience that equips the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position. This experience may include all of the following: 1) reviewing and processing mineral leasing and mining law applications; 2) adjudicating land use applications and authorizations; 3) adjudicating and/or resolving land law issues and actions using applicable regulations, decisions, and policies; 4) applying laws, regulations, or governmental policies to fluid mineral and/or land law issues or authorizations; and 5) composing letters, notices, decision and/or memoranda to internal and/or external customers relative to land and/or fluid mineral actions -OR- Education: I have 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. -OR- Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. 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.
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
Don't miss the next one.
Get an email the moment a similar federal job opens — postings can close in as little as 5 days.