Land Law Examiner (Lands & Realty).

Bureau of Land Management; Carlsbad (NM); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Bureau of Land Management in the United States is seeking a Lands Realty Examiner to independently adjudicate complex lands and realty cases, including ROW authorizations, land tenure adjustments, withdrawals, and leases. You will conduct technical and legal analyses to support determinations and recommendations.

The position requires reviewing title evidence, surveys, and MTPs, serving as a technical authority, issuing formal decisions and notices, and guiding other staff on regulatory

Qualifications

• Specialized experience in analyzing and adjudicating complex realty actions.
• Ability to determine ownership, encumbrances, and rights from land descriptions.
• Experience coordinating with interdisciplinary specialists (NEPA, cultural, wildlife, engineering, cadastral, minerals, range, recreation).
• Hours per week worked must be disclosed as part of the application.

Responsibilities

• Adjudicate complex lands and realty cases including ROWs, land tenure adjustments, withdrawals, and leases.
• Analyze case materials for compliance with laws and program manuals and prepare findings and recommendations.
• Review land descriptions, MTPs, control documents, patents, surveys, title evidence, and historic records to determine ownership and rights.
• Provide guidance to lower-graded examiners and staff on statutory interpretation.
• Prepare formal decisions, deficiency letters, and other adjudicative documents per regulatory requirements.
• Maintain complete case files and ensure data integrity in automated systems.

Skills

Adjudication expertise

Federal land laws compliance

Case materials analysis

Interdisciplinary coordination

Regulatory interpretation

GIS

Education

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in land law related field

3 years graduate education in land law/real estate

Tools

GIS software

Land records system

Job description

Duties

• Independently adjudicates complex lands and realty cases, including right-of-way (ROW)authorizations, land tenure adjustments, withdrawals, FLPMA actions, acquisitions, conveyances, exchanges, permits, leases, and other discretionary and non-discretionary realty actions.
• Conducts technical and legal analysis of case materials to determine compliance with laws, regulations, policies, solicitor opinions, and program manuals; prepares findings and authoritative recommendations or decisions.
• Reviews legal land descriptions, Master Title Plats (MTPs), control document index (CDI),patents, surveys, plats, title evidence, and historical records to determine ownership, encumbrances, and valid existing rights for proposed actions.
• Serves as a technical authority for realty adjudication, providing guidance to lower-graded examiners, Realty Specialists, field staff, and management on statutory and regulatory interpretation.
• Prepares and issues formal decisions, deficiency letters, request-for-information notices, determination letters, and other adjudicative documents in accordance with BLM regulatory requirements and appeals processes (e.g., IBLA).
• Conducts public contact and applicant interactions, explaining procedural requirements, providing regulatory guidance, and resolving complex issues related to realty applications and land status.
• Maintains complete and accurate case files, electronic records, and tracking logs; ensures data integrity in automated systems and compliance with records management requirements

Requirements

• 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
• You may be required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• A financial disclosure report will be required 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 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 or 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 - 10/27/2026-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.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

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

Specialized Experience

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level:

To Qualify, You Must Possess At Least One Full Year Of Specialized Experience Equivalent To The GS-09 Level In The Federal Service (obtained In Either The Public Or Private Sectors). Specialized Experience Is Defined As Demonstrated Experience

• Gathering and analyzing facts, evidence, and technical data to support final adjudication decisions, including controversial or precedent-setting realty actions.
• Adjudicating complex agreements and applications for technical accuracy and compliance with federal land laws, regulations, and policies (e.g. Federal Land Policy and Management, Mineral Leasing Act)
• Reviewing and validating complex applications, agreements, and case materials for technical accuracy, legal adequacy, regulatory compliance; identifies conflicts, deficiencies, or inconsistencies and resolves them.
• Coordinates with interdisciplinary specialists (NEPA, cultural, wildlife, engineering, cadastral, minerals, range, recreation) to ensure case actions meet environmental and technical requirements and are supported by appropriate analysis
• Determining applicant qualifications and land status, including interpreting legal land descriptions, verifying boundaries, confirming applicable rights and interests, and ensuring consistency
• Applying advanced analytical and technical skills, minerals, and case-management systems; Geographic Information System tools; and land records to evaluate status, determine compliance, and support adjudication findings

You must include hours per week worked.

• OR- Education: Successful completion of at least a PH.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., directly related to duties performed by a Land Law Examiner. Examples of related coursework are 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.

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. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit:

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

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:

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,

The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

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.

Benefits

• 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.
• 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.
• The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

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.