Paquita Sauquillo was born in Madrid on 31 July 1943, the eldest daughter of José Luis Sauquillo and Deseada Pérez del Arco. She had two brothers, José Luis (born 1944), and (born 1947), also a lawyer, who was murdered on 24 January 1977 during the
Atocha massacre. Paquita could also have died that night, but she was meeting with the lawyers
José María Mohedano and
Manuela Carmena at another location. She was linked to Christian movements during the . Beginning in 1965 she worked in the group of in , Sauquillo has been a lawyer since 1966. She has worked as a criminal attorney on numerous national issues before the Spanish Provincial Courts, in addition to serving in the
Audiencia Nacional, and in the
Supreme Court and
Constitutional Court. She created one of the first labor law firms in Madrid, known as the "Despacho de Lista", in 1970, where she defended trade unionists from the Pegaso, Standard Eléctrica, Marconi, etc. factories during that decade. A plaintiff's attorney in various popular actions, she worked for the defense of fundamental rights, defended students, workers, politicians, and members of unions before the
Public Order Court (TOP). With the arrival of democracy, she acted in civil and family matters. The first book that she published was on divorce law claims. Beginning in 1981, she advised and defended more than 3,000 people affected by the
toxic syndrome caused by colza oil, attending all judicial proceedings. This ruling established jurisprudence on crimes against public health. ==Political career==