Maialisa Vanyo is a Senior Deputy with the Whatcom County Public Defender Office. She has been practicing criminal defense since she graduated with honors from the University of Washington School of Law in 1999.

She started her practice as a public defender in Cleveland, Ohio at the Cuyahoga County Public Defender Office. In 2003, she was honored by the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland with the Claude E. Clarke Award for outstanding service as an attorney.

Maialisa joined the Whatcom County Public Defender Office in 2011 and has worked in both the Juvenile and Superior Court Division.  She serves as the Training Lead for the office and represents the office on the GRACE Leadership Board.