About Mary
Mary Allain earned her law degree after studying sociology at Whitman College. She completed a B.A. in sociology in 2012 and went on to receive a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2018. The path from a liberal arts undergraduate program to a California law school shaped a practical approach to legal problems and a strong interest in how law affects everyday lives.
While still in school, Allain worked in roles that exposed her to client-facing practice and legal education. In 2014 she held positions that placed her on the front lines of immigration work, serving as an onsite immigration case manager and as a client services representative. During law school she returned to campus as an Academic Success Fellow in 2016, a role that involved advising students and assisting with academic programs.
After receiving her J.D., Allain joined Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP as an associate in 2018. She spent the early years of her legal career building courtroom and case-management experience. In 2020 she took a position at Ames Karanjia LLP as an associate and that same year served as an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego School of Law. Her teaching role allowed her to remain connected to the law school community while practicing.
Allain is admitted to practice in California and is authorized to appear in the Ninth Circuit as well as in the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Central Districts of California. Those admissions allow her to file appeals and federal court pleadings in the circuit and district forums that cover much of the state.
Her early employment history includes work at firms and teams that handle immigration matters. Those experiences continued to inform her practice after law school. She has handled client intake, case management and litigation support, and has experience preparing filings for administrative and judicial proceedings.
Students and colleagues describe her as deliberate in explaining legal process and attentive to procedural detail. Her academic role and front-office positions in earlier years give her familiarity with both the classroom and the client office, a combination that informs how she prepares cases and communicates with clients.
Allain continues to work in California-based practice. She is an associate at Ames Karanjia LLP, where she handles immigration matters and files in state and federal courts.
