[4] A recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Carpio-Morales has been cited as a "fearless and indefatigable Ombudsman of the Philippines whose integrity and dignity restored the people's faith in the rule of law.

[6] When she was younger, she played marbles, climbed the Paoay Tower, and memorized Shakespeare's passages on the urging of her father.

The moment that you can marshal them, in the best way you can, then it’s just a matter of applying the law, right or wrong.”[6] Carpio-Morales mentioned that it was hard for her to find role models among women lawyers, because there was so few of them.

However, she found her role models at the DOJ, whom she described as "...women of integrity, of competence, of uncrackable reputation.” These included Lorna Lombos dela Fuente, then Assistant Chief of the Legal Division of the Department, who became a Court of Appeals Justice, and Assistant Chief State Counsel Minerva Gonzaga Reyes, who become a Supreme Court Justice.

In 1983, former President Ferdinand Marcos appointed Carpio-Morales as a Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge in Pili, Camarines Sur.

[6] In De Castro v Judicial and Bar Council (2010), the question of whether or not then-President Arroyo was allowed to appoint the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was brought to the fore, given that then-outgoing Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno was retiring within the period that the 1987 Philippine Constitution prohibited the President from making appointments to executive positions.

After being elected as the 15th President of the Philippines to replace Arroyo, Benigno Aquino III requested that Carpio-Morales administer his oath-taking.

[6] Under the leadership of Carpio-Morales, she professionalized and upgraded OMB's capabilities; revolutionized its anti-corruption program to include the designation of deputy ombudsmen for environmental concerns and for investment-related problems; and improved its responsiveness to calls for public assistance.

The independence and quality of OMB's fact-finding investigations, evidence build-up, prosecution strategies and case management have also been improved.

[19] Recognizing that corruption is not just a matter of persons but systems, Carpio-Morales took the initiative in creating an integrity management-based program that mobilizes government agencies and the public and addresses the lack of strategy and direction in the overall anti-corruption campaign.

[19] When asked last September 2016 about her greatest accomplishment as an Ombudsman on Solita "Winnie" Monsod's TV show "Bawal ang Pasaway", she said that it was her having "put order in the office, because it was in a state of disorder" when she came in, as well as her implementing some reforms that she wants to institutionalize before she vacates her position.

Among these reforms include the system of evaluation of cases, which was partly addressed by the increase in the number of divisions and justices in the Sandiganbayan, and the Integrity Caravan.

To quote, “But yung sabihin i-kompromise mo na lang ito kasi ganito ganoon, no way.

"[21] Three months before stepping down, Carpio-Morales called on the people during a conference with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) to "don't be silent amid abuse", referring to president Rodrigo Duterte's Philippine Drug War, abuse reports due to martial rule in Mindanao, and other government crackdowns.

[22] In June, Morales said in an interview that "the lesson to learn is to never think that you are infallible", adding, amidst criticism from president Duterte, that "I don't quantify success.

The statement came in after president Rodrigo Duterte signed multiple partially undisclosed deals with Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping, including an oil exploration deal which violates the Constitution and gives leeway to China's claims in the South China Sea.

[39] She, along with former Philippine foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario, filed a communication in the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity against Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping due to China's environmentally destructive activities in the South China Sea, particularly its building of artificial islands.

[40] Carpio-Morales comes from a family of lawyers, which include her father, three of his brothers, and her cousin, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

"[41] Upon winning the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2016, Carpio Morales read a letter to her grandchildren Ennio and Cece, where she said that "I draw inspiration and energy from you.

I continue working because I want to secure a just and honest society for you and for every Filipino child," ending it with "...as you go to bed tonight, know that your grandmother is optimistic that your tomorrow will be a better day.

[6] In the course of her career, she has received several death threats, which included threatening phone calls[42] and the discovery of a grenade near the gate of her house in Muntinlupa.

She was given the award “for delivering justice with courage and untrammelled integrity—a shining paragon to all magistrates, worthy of emulation and respect.”[45] In 2011, Carpio-Morales was honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Manilans, an award given to persons who have immensely contributed to the benefit and development of Manila and its residents, and whose achievements in their respective fields have given prestige to the country's capital.

She was recognized for her performance in the field of law and jurisprudence for her "unquestionable integrity, impartial and fearless dispensation of justice, and her untarnished and dedicated 40-year government public service record.

As stated by then UP President Alfredo Pascual, UP's Board of Regents conferred to her this honoris causa as "She has herself become the measure of integrity in the government service, the face of courage and daring determination, of competence and independence, and of one resolutely intolerant of corruption.

As mentioned by the Ramon Magsaysay Board of Trustees board in the citation, she was elected to receive the award in recognition of “her moral courage and commitment to justice in taking head-on one of the most intractable problems in the Philippines; promoting by her example of incorruptibility, diligence, vision and leadership, the highest ethical standards in public service.”[19] In 2017, Carpio-Morales received Quezon City's Tandang Sora Award, in recognition of exhibiting the same values as Philippine heroine Melchora Aquino, who was known by the monicker Tandang Sora.