Land Law Examining Series, 0965

Individual Occupational Requirements

Education

Undergraduate and Graduate Education:

For GS-5:

Major study -- any field.

For GS-7:

Applicants can qualify for GS-7 based on graduate education (including law school) that included or was 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. Applicants who qualify for GS-7 on the basis of the superior academic achievement provision must have had at least 12 semester hours of course work related to the administration of land laws.

For GS-9 and above:

Major study -- fields such as those described above for GS-7. For some positions, graduate study alone may not provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the work. Applicants for such positions may be required to have specialized experience at the appropriate grade level.

OR

Experience

General Experience (for GS-5 positions): 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.

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience in or directly related to examination or adjudication of cases involving laws and regulations dealing with lands and resources. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

• Adjudication or examination of applications and claims for the disposal, use of, or title to public lands, issuance of leases, licenses, or permits for land or resources use, and resolving conflicts arising from use.
• General practice of law that included substantial involvement in examinations of titles or other legal transactions involving acquisition, lease, or disposal of land.
• Title searching, abstracting, or interpreting land records, survey plats, or tract indexes and books, provided the work demonstrated an understanding of the laws, regulations, and policies associated with land management programs.
• Work as a land appraiser that involved appraisal of undeveloped or marginal-type land.