The ABA's Governmental Affairs Office (GAO) serves as the "eyes, ears and voice" of the organized bar in the nation's capital. The GAO coordinates the Association’s Washington activities, and all representation on behalf of the ABA before governmental entities or officials must be coordinated with and through the GAO

The GAO conveys the views of the Association on a broad range of issues each year to numerous governmental entities. The GAO legislative staff arranges for ABA witnesses to testify before congressional committees and other governmental bodies; submits numerous written statements, position papers and letters advocating ABA policy on issues of interest to Congress; and meets regularly with Members of Congress and their staffs to convey the Association’s concerns and views on matters of importance to the legal profession. The GAO also maintains an active grassroots lobbying effort and distributes periodic "alerts" to ABA entities and state and local bar groups advising them of legislative developments that call for concerted action.

In addition to its advocacy efforts to advance the ABA’s legislative agenda, the GAO acts as a conduit for information for ABA volunteers and entities within the bar. The GAO monitors and reports on congressional and executive branch developments of interest to the organized bar; assists and coordinates the advocacy efforts of ABA entities on polices that are not legislative priorities; works closely with the President’s Office on the presentation of public policy issues; and provides direct staff support to various ABA committees.

Similarly, the GAO’s State Legislative Clearinghouse (SLC) tracks important state-federal legislative developments and provides a regular overview of these developments to the organized bar.

The GAO, through the Information Services Unit, distributes two publications highlighting federal governmental issues:

• the ABA Washington Summary, which abstracts the Congressional Record and the Federal Register to highlight congressional action on legislation and proposed rules and regulations of federal agencies of interest to bar entities; and
• the ABA Washington Letter, which provides in-depth discussion of major governmental activities and legislation affecting the legal profession, as well as details of ABA involvement in the policymaking process.

The ABA is a non-partisan, voluntary membership organization. Neither the ABA nor the Governmental Affairs Office has a political action committee, makes political contributions, or endorses candidates for office.