Mariah Lujuano

Mariah Lujano was born and raised in the Tri-Cities, Washington, by Mexican immigrant parents. Her parents were laborers who were only able to understand and speak Spanish, which heavily influenced Mariah’s childhood and her perspective on the world. From a young age, Mariah often acted as a translator for her mother, realizing when she was struggling and coming to her aid. Over the years, she began developing a profound ability as an advocate and interpreter.

These actions quickly became more meaningful – Mariah was finding her stride, her ultimate passion. She became aware that her mother wasn’t the only person that had difficulty understanding the world around her, subjects such as personal finances, licensing, or the law was challenging to comprehend in both the technicalities and language. Throughout the years, she realized this was a group of people that needed assistance and resources.

When Mariah became a high school graduate, she didn’t know she wanted to be a lawyer when she started working as an assistant for Roach and Bishop Law Offices. As a child, Mariah considered herself kind of shy. She wasn’t an aspiring public speaker – she would never have believed she would be comfortable speaking in front of crowds. The idea of becoming a lawyer sounded odd and foreign, like a path for someone else.

As she worked at the law firm every summer, she continued her education at The University of Portland, double majoring in Spanish and Political Science. While studying and working, Mariah began to discover just how many people struggled to understand the law that she had the opportunity to learn. She realized she wanted to spend her life advocating for those who could not understand or explain themselves. Mariah became dedicated to making communication and resources accessible to all people. She knew she aspired to accomplish positive change in the world, and working in the legal system could be the avenue to do it.

Upon graduation from her undergraduate degree, she was hired as a full-time paralegal for Pat Roach. This position enabled her to see and experience the potential impact if the law were more accessible. She realized that pursuing law would allow her to help remedy some of the struggles of voiceless communities and make meaningful changes. She felt called to the practice and promptly enrolled in law school, and she completed her law degree at Gonzaga University in 2022.

Despite her former beliefs that “she wasn’t the attorney type,” Mariah began practicing law full-time at Roach and Bishop Law Offices upon her matriculation from law school. Beyond any categorized specialty, Mariah most looks forward to being a bridge that connects people with the law. She aspires to be a source of hope and understanding for individuals who feel isolated by the complicated language, technical jargon, and overall comprehension of this complex topic. Mariah seeks to make the law less intimidating and more accessible for all. She desires to break down barriers of education, language, culture, and fluency.

Mariah is the first college graduate in her family. Her parents and family have tirelessly devoted themselves to providing positive change for their family trajectory. Their shared vision of bringing continuous improvement to their family and the world has become complete in Mariah’s ongoing education and law career. Transcending the goal of academic excellence and achievement, Mariah believes her true accomplishment will be in practicing law itself. Her mission is to provide access to the law in a way that allows justice for all. For Mariah, practicing the law and serving her community is more than a professional accomplishment – it is a powerful personal accomplishment.

Mariah specializes in several areas of law. She has a passion for family law, assisting other families in their legal struggles, aided not only by her education and law expertise, but her years of personal experience navigating the legal system for her family. She practices civil litigation, where she helps two parties solve disputes between one another. Mariah also practices criminal defense law, where she leaves no stone unturned to defend her clients. She persists in analyzing each detail of a case and makes strategic arguments to achieve the desired result.

From working as a summertime assistant to passing the bar, Mariah’s story has come full circle for her family, her mentors, and her whole community. The Roach and Bishop Law Firm has joyously welcomed our newest attorney. We have great expectations for all of the positive changes we are confident Mariah will make at both our firm and in the world as a practicing lawyer.