After earning her law degree, Justice Gutierrez engaged in the practice of law. Prior to her appointment in the bench, she served the government in different capacities: Legal Aide II in the National Bureau of Investigation (1963-1965); Legal Researcher in the Department of Justice (1965-1968); Judicial Supervisor in the same Department (1968-1973); and Judicial Assistant and Attorney in the Supreme Court (1973-1983).

On January 17, 1983, she was appointed Judge of the Metropolitan Trial Court of Manila, Branch 19 and on November 5, 1986, Judge of the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 37. On October 22, 1991, she was elevated to the Court of Appeals and on December 22, 2000, to the Supreme Court.

Desiring to advance in her profession, Justice Gutierrez pursued postgraduate studies. She attended Harvard Law School Courses in 1989 and 1994, taking up Constitutional Law, Advanced Constitutional Law, Legal Medicine, Family Law and Federal Courts. She also studied, as a fellow, American and International Law at the Academy of the American and International Law, University of Texas in Dallas. She attended the course on trial techniques at the National Judicial College, University of Nevada at Reno and took up management and delinquency control at the University of Southern California Delinquency Control Institute, Los Angeles.

Justice Gutierrez has received various awards. She is the first recipient of the prestigious Cayetano Arellano Award as an Outstanding RTC Judge of the Philippines for 1990 given for the first time on June 11, 1991 by the Foundation for Judicial Excellence, through President Corazon C. Aquino. Four months thereafter, or on October 22, 1991, this award catapulted her to the Court of Appeals.

She has also the distinction of being the first winner (First Prize Awardee, 1989) in the judicial essay/best written decision contest among Regional Trial Court women judges sponsored by the Philippine Women Judges Association yearly for having written the best “Proposed Innovations in Judicial Management and Procedure.”

In recognition of her achievements, the Sto. Tomas University Law Alumni Foundation, Inc. honored her with several awards, such as Plaque of Appreciation on September 5, 1992, Award of Merit on November 9, 1991, Plaque of Recognition on September 7, 1991 and Testimonial on March 2, 1987. On June 28, 1991, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (Chapter IV, Manila) conferred on her an Award of Recognition “for her speedy disposition of cases, for her proven integrity and knowledge of the law and for personifying the ideals of justice and the rule of law.” On October 23, 1998, she received from the same bar association (Quezon Chapter) a Plaque of Appreciation “for her appointment to the Court of Appeals, a judicial post reserved only to those who possess high judicial caliber, integrity and morality, and whose rare achievement serves as a truly inspiring guide to the profession.”

She was chosen “Most Outstanding Alumna” on May 1, 1992 by St. Bridget’s College where she finished her secondary course.

She likewise received on May 5, 1989 a “Special Award” as an Outstanding Citizen of Alitagtag, Batangas.

On May 14, 2000, she was bestowed the “Ulirang Ina Award” by the National Mother’s Day and Father’s Day Foundation.

In view of her promotional appointment to the Supreme Court, the University of Sto. Tomas conferred on her the most prestigious award being given to its distinguished alumni - The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni Award (TOTAL AWARD). Likewise, the Court of Appeals, the Philippine Judges Association, the UST Faculty of Civil Law, St. Bridget’s College, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Quezon Chapter and Quezon Judges Association, the Parangal ng Bayan Awards Foundation, the Philippine Judges Association, and other organizations extended to her Awards of Distinction and Recognition.

Recently, or on March 7, 2003, the Provincial Government of Batangas honored her with the “Dangal ng Batangan Award” “in recognition of her outstanding achievements as a Lawyer, Justice, Writer and for being a distinguished Batangueña worth emulating by the youth.” Also, on the same date, the Batangas Provincial Women Coordinating Council, Inc. awarded her a Plaque of Recognition as An Outstanding Batangueña “for successfully demonstrating positive values and inspiring other Batangueñas towards a better quality of life.”

While still a member of the Court of Appeals, Justice Gutierrez was twice chosen by the Supreme Court as bar examiner in Criminal Law - in 1994 and in 1998.

She is a member of the Board of Editorial Consultants of the Supreme Court Reports Annotated (SCRA); member of the American Society of International Law; Secretary for Life of the 87th Class, University of Southern California Deliquency Control Institute; Executive Vice-President of the UST Alumni Foundation, Inc.; Director of the Federacion Internacional De Abogadas; former member, Board of Editors of the Court Systems Journal published by the Supreme Court; etc.

She served as National Treasurer and Secretary General of the Philippine Judges Association (1989-1991) and as First Woman President of the Manila Regional Trial Court Judges Association in 1991.

Justice Gutierrez participated in various conventions and seminars here and abroad, such as The Asia Pacific Program for the Judiciary on Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement in Geneva and Washington, D.C. (July 9 to July 18, 2003); The World Jurist Association’s Conference in Stuttgart, Germany (September 19 to October 2, 2002); Program Arbitration of Global Projects in Dallas, Texas (June, 1997); Appellate Judges Seminar in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Portland, Oregon (July, 1996 and August 1996); International Convention for Women Judges in Wellington, New Zealand in September (1993); Harmonization of Trade and Investment Practices in the Asia-Pacific Region held in Tokyo, Japan (May, 1990); World Law Conference in Beijing, China (September, 1989); UNDP-Supreme Court Seminars-Workshops in various cities in the Philippines (1998-1999); Seminars for the Justices of the Court of Appeals (1997-1999) and other local conventions/seminars on the Judiciary and the Bar.

Justice Gutierrez wrote several articles such as:

1. “PROPOSED INNOVATIONS IN JUDICIAL MANAGEMENT AND PROCEDURE"	Manila Bulletin September 21, and 22, 1989 issues
2. “THE ROLE OF THE JUDICIARY ON DELIQUENCY CONTROL”	Manila Bulletin December 9, 10 and 11, 1989 issues
3. “JUDICIAL TEMPERAMENT”	Manila Bulletin February 11, 1990 issue
4. “EASY LIFE ON THE BENCH”	Manila Bulletin May 25, 1990 issue
5. “CHIEF JUSTICE FERNAN’S FINEST MOMENT”	Manila Bulletin September 13, 1990 issue
6. “WHY LITIGATE”	Manila Bulletin December 26, 1990 issue
7. “MY FELLOWSHIP AT THE ACADEMY OF AMERICAN AND INTERNATIONAL LAW”	1990 Philippine Women Judge’s Association (PWJA) Newsletter December 1990 issue
8. “I HAVE A DREAM”	Philippine Judges Association (PJA) Newsletter May 1991 issue
9. “SOME THOUGHTS ON PROBLEMS OF PRACTITIONERS”	Philippine Judges Association (PJA) Newsletter September 1991 issue
10. “LET US LOOK AT THE TRIAL JUDGES”	Court Systems Journal July 1997 issue
11. “A TRIBUTE TO JUSTICE JAIME M. LANTIN”	The Lawyers Review No. 9, Vol. XI September 30, 1997
12. “A TRIBUTE TO PRESIDING JUSTICE JESUS M. ELBINIAS”	The Lawyers Review No. 11, Vol. XIII November 30, 1999
13. “PURSUIT FOR JUDICIAL EXCELLENCE”	Manila Bulletin April 2, 2000 issue
14. “INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGE FOR NEWLY APPOINTED JUDGES”	The Lawyer’s Review No. 8, Vol. XV August 31, 2001
15. “ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: A CHALLENGE TO TRIAL JUDGES”	The Lawyer’s Review No. 12, Vol. XV December 31, 2001

Justice Gutierrez was married to the late NBI Assistant Director Diego H. Gutierrez. They have three children: Aileen is a State Prosecutor in the Department of Justice, whose husband, Robert Victor C. Marcon, is a law practitioner; Francis, an Esquire (attorney-at-law), is a graduate of the American University George Washington College of Law. He works in the Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D.C.; James, also an Esquire, is a graduate of the Boston University. He is connected with the Stroock and Stroock and Lavan Law Firm in New York City.