The CLA lobbies to protect its members' interests in relation to rural issues at local, national and EU levels.

[3][independent source needed] The Policy team, based in the London office, offers advice on tax and legal, environment and conservation, agriculture and land management, as well as planning, housing and heritage.

This includes issues such as the right to roam, reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy, heritage, rural housing, renewable energy and taxation.

[7] In 2023, OpenDemocracy reported that the CLA had successfully lobbied the government against abolishing the deadline of right to roam claims.

It announced in September 2015 that it "could no longer ask CLA members to allow their membership subscriptions to underwrite the losses the event makes.