Lindberg was born in Cuba, and educated in
Cuba,
Puerto Rico, and the United States. Her father was Cuban and her mother was a Puerto Rican U.S. citizen; as a result, Lindberg was born a dual citizen of Cuba and the United States. In 1960, she, her mother, and her brother were forced to leave Cuba; her father was forced to remain in Cuba. In 1963, Lindberg's family came to the U.S., settling in
New Rochelle, New York. She and her family were introduced to the LDS Church through the Mormon exhibit at the New York World's Fair. By that time her father had also left Cuba. Following high school, Lindberg attended
Brigham Young University (BYU), where she received a
bachelor's degree in communications, and the
University of Utah where she received a
master's degree in educational psychology in 1973, a master's degree in social work in 1978 and a
Ph.D. in health sciences in 1980. During—and following—her graduate schooling at the University of Utah, Lindberg worked for various State of Utah agencies. As part of her work, she became intrigued with the analytical approach used in the law. Lindberg received a scholarship to BYU's
J. Reuben Clark Law School. She graduated magna cum laude, placing second in her class. She served as an articles editor for the
BYU Law Review. == Judicial career ==