Lawson started acting at the age of nine. She has appeared in commercials for Barbie and Revlon and in several television shows. On Buffy the Vampire Slayer she portrayed Kendra Young, another Vampire Slayer who is activated as a result of the temporary death of title character, Buffy Summers, in the first season finale.

In December 2009, Lawson plays in the cast as Maya St. Germain in the TV series Pretty Little Liars based on the book series by Sara Shepard.  Lawson also appeared as Emily Bennett in The Vampire Diaries.