She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Liceo de Manila in 1909; her licentiate in jurisprudence from the Escuela de Derecho de Manila in 1913; Master of Laws in 1937; and her Doctor of Civil Law in 1938 from the University of Sto. Tomas. She began serving the government as Special Attorney of the Bureau of Justice in 1919. She was acting city judge of the City of Court of Manila for 3 years until her permanent appointment by Pres. Manuel Quezon in 1934. She was executive judge of the City Court of Manila for 10 years. In 1961, Almeda-Lopez was appointed presiding judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

She was later appointed as Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals.

During her lifetime, she was a beacon in the feminist movement, working for women's right to suffrage, a cause that eventually bore fruit as women finally got to cast their vote. The Presidential Award for Leadership in the Feminist Movement, awarded to her in 1955, was only one among 3 Presidential Awards she received. In 1966, she also received recognition for her struggle in the Women's Suffrage Movement, and the Award of Merit in 1968 for being a woman trailblazer. La Proteccion dela Infancia, Inc. president, Architect Augusto F. Villalon, hailed Almeda-Lopez's trailblazing contributions. The foundation, to this day, continues to honor its primary program, 'Gota de Leche' (drop of milk), by feeding milk to some indigent 150 infants. It has also branched out to prioritizing maternal health care.

Reference: Reformina, I. (2012, September 28). Country’s first female judge remembered. ABS-CBN News; ABS-CBN News. https://news.abs-cbn.com/-depth/09/28/12/countrys-first-female-judge-remembered