Mary has been practicing law in the Seattle area since 1977, providing in-depth legal services and advice to clients. She is dedicated to working with elders and their families to develop a comprehensive plan for dealing with long-term care and end-of-life issues.

Mary served as the president of WAELA, the Washington Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) in 2011. NAELA awarded her the 2012 Washington Chapter outstanding member award. She is a member of the King County Bar Association (KCBA), as well as its Real Property, Probate and Trust Law section. She has served on the executive committee of the Guardianship and Elder Law Section of the KCBA, is a member of the Elder Law section of the Washington State Bar Association, and is admitted to U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington.

Mary is an accredited VA attorney, meaning that she has been granted the authority by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to present and prosecute claims for Veterans Benefits before the VA.

She opened her own law practice in 2005, with a focus on areas of law involving elder and disabled individuals. She started her legal career as a public defender, and also served as an attorney for the Quinault tribe.

As a trial attorney at the Defender Association in Seattle for many years, she has handled hundreds of cases, eventually becoming a supervising attorney, a position she held for over 15 years. She was appointed as an adjunct supervising clinical law professor at the University of Washington School of Law in 2002; her program ended in 2004 as a result of successful legislative changes.

In 2006, the statewide Washington Defender Association honored her with its highest honor, the Gideon Award, for outstanding work in representing low-income and other impoverished clients.