[2] Cardone started her legal career as a briefing attorney for Magistrate Judge Philip A. Schraub, a U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

She was a judge on the Municipal Court for the City of El Paso from 1983 to 1990.

She was an Associate judge for the Family Law Court of Texas from 1990 to 1995.

In 2003, Cardone was nominated to the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas by President George W. Bush on May 1, 2003, to a new seat created by 116 Stat.

"[3] In August 2021, Cardone issued a temporary injunction in the case U.S. vs Texas and Greg Abbott against an executive order by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to have Texas state troopers stop vehicles suspected of carrying illegal immigrants, who might be infected with COVID-19.