The child of Cuban immigrants, Lopez was born in Miami, Florida and raised in the nearby suburb of Hialeah.

[2] She earned an Associate of Arts in and Associate of Science degree from Miami Dade College, a Bachelor of Arts from Florida International University in 1996, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 1999.

[3] Lopez began her career as a criminal defense attorney in Florida, working both at a firm and as a solo practitioner.

In 2007, she relocated to San Diego, where she joined the Office of the Federal Public Defender as a senior trial attorney.

President Biden nominated Lopez to the seat vacated by Judge Roger Benitez, who assumed senior status on December 31, 2017.