diff --git a/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/trace/span.py b/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/trace/span.py
index d207ecf565b..c45f92a4e2c 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/trace/span.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-api/src/opentelemetry/trace/span.py
@@ -37,6 +37,13 @@ def set_attribute(self, key: str, value: types.AttributeValue) -> None:
         Sets a single Attribute with the key and value passed as arguments.
         """
 
+    @abc.abstractmethod
+    def get_attribute(self, key: str) -> types.AttributeValue:
+        """Gets an Attribute.
+
+        Gets a single Attribute with the key passed as argument.
+        """
+
     @abc.abstractmethod
     def add_event(
         self,
@@ -235,6 +242,9 @@ def end(self, end_time: typing.Optional[int] = None) -> None:
     def set_attribute(self, key: str, value: types.AttributeValue) -> None:
         pass
 
+    def get_attribute(self, key: str) -> types.AttributeValue:
+        pass
+
     def add_event(
         self,
         name: str,
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
index 848f571e6a8..0795b1a5a43 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
@@ -553,6 +553,10 @@ def set_attribute(self, key: str, value: types.AttributeValue) -> None:
             with self._lock:
                 self.attributes[key] = value
 
+    def get_attribute(self, key: str) -> types.AttributeValue:
+
+        return self.attributes[key]
+
     @staticmethod
     def _filter_attribute_values(attributes: types.Attributes):
         if attributes: