[2] She received a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Harvard College in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2001.

In 2003, she joined the law firm of Miner, Barnhill & Galland in Chicago as an associate until 2009 when she was elevated to partner in 2010.

[3] In December 2021, Maldonado was recommended to the president by Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.

President Biden nominated Maldonado to the seat vacated by Judge Matthew Kennelly, who assumed senior status on October 7, 2021.

[12] She became the first Hispanic woman to serve as a federal judge on the Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

President Biden nominated Maldonado to the seat being vacated by Judge Ilana Rovner, who announced her intent to assume senior status upon confirmation of a successor.