Some attorneys represent individual citizens in their legal dealings with the government, including both transactional and litigation matters.  Common issues people find themselves in with the government include real estate transactions, construction projects, building licenses, and business licenses, as well as civil matters where the government has caused damages to an individual.

Other attorneys perform legal work on behalf of the government.  The government, though a sovereign entity, still needs individuals to perform legal work on its behalf.  Many cities and other municipalities actually have attorneys who are designated as the "city attorney."  Furthermore, governmental agencies, such as the IRS, or the Department of Homeland Defense, also have their own attorneys who work directly in their office.

An important area of governmental law for attorneys on the private side of the aisle is governmental contracting work.  The government contracts out many of its projects to civilians, such as maintaining public roadways.  These projects are put out for companies to place a bid.  Attorneys who assist these companies help throughout the bid process, as well as draft the agreement documents and work with the governmental agencies, such as the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE), throughout the duration of the contract.