Sandoval-Gutierrez graduated at Alitagtag Elementary School as
salutatorian. On May 5, 1989, she received a "Special Award" as "Outstanding Citizen of Alitagtag." At
St. Bridget College she finishing her Music Teacher’s Course in
piano. On May 1, 1992, she became its "Most Outstanding Alumna." On March 7, 2003,
Batangas conferred upon her the "Dangal ng Batangan Award". Sandoval-Gutierrez earned her law degree from the
University of Santo Tomas in 1960. She engaged in private
practice of law for 2 years. After two years (1963 to 1965) working as
legal aide II at the
National Bureau of Investigation, Sandoval-Gutierrez joined the
Department of Justice as
legal researcher from 1965 to 1968, and judicial supervisor from 1968 to 1973. She worked as a judicial assistant and attorney of the Supreme Court from 1973 to 1983. In 1983, Sandoval-Gutierrez was appointed Branch 19,
Manila Metropolitan Trial Court of Manila Judge before taking over Regional Trial Court Branch 37 in 1986. She was promoted as an associate justice of the
Court of Appeals by
President Corazon Aquino in 1991. She served as chair of the Court of Appeals 8th division until her appointment to the Supreme Court in 2000. In pursuit of post-graduate studies attended Harvard Law School Courses in 1989 and 1994, taking up Constitutional Law, Advanced Constitutional Law, Legal Medicine, Family Law and Federal Courts. She also studied, as a fellow, American and International Law at the Academy of the American and International Law, University of Texas in Dallas. She attended the course on trial techniques at the
National Judicial College, University of Nevada at Reno and took up management and delinquency control at the University of Southern California Delinquency Control Institute, Los Angeles. Among many various honors, Sandoval-Gutierrez was the first recipient of the prestigious Cayetano Arellano Award as an Outstanding RTC Judge of the Philippines for 1990. She has also the distinction of being the first winner (First Prize Awardee, 1989) in the judicial essay/best written decision contest among Regional Trial Court women judges sponsored by the Philippine Women Judges Association yearly for having written the best "Proposed Innovations in Judicial Management and Procedure". From 2007 up to present, Sandoval-Gutierrez served as the dean of the Graduate School of Law of the
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. In 2014, she was appointed
Judicial and Bar Council member replacing
Regino C. Hermosisima Jr. October 18, 2020, Sandoval-Gutierrez was appointed Judicial Integrity Board's vice chair, with a 2-year term. After the demise of
Romeo Callejo Sr., she headed the judicial body as acting chair. ==Family==