Maggie Lawson first appeared on the TV series Hang Time in 1996 and gradually gained more exposure as she acquired guest roles on Step by Step, Unhappily Ever After, Boy Meets World, Home Improvement, and Family Rules, where she played recurring character Hope Harrison. In 1999, she joined the cast of Party of Five as Alexa and then later moved on to play Liz Stoddard-Banks on the series It's All Relative.
Lawson, who also became famous for her role as Andrea Malone on Crumbs, currently stars on Psych as Juliet O'Hara, the love interest of lead character Shawn Spencer, who happens to be played by her real-life boyfriend James Roday.