Wendy Bulger

General Counsel

Wendy Bulger is responsible for advising San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance on all legal matters affecting the organization, as well as overseeing government relations, risk management, global compliance, and internal audit.

Bulger joined San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in 1997 as its first in-house attorney and formally started the Legal Department in 2004. She has provided ongoing counsel to leadership on strategic initiatives, developed effective processes to enhance the organization’s legal governance and demonstrate the organization’s commitment to ethics and integrity, and sponsored a program to improve accessibility to the organization’s offerings for people with disabilities.

In addition to traditional legal advising, Wendy is also active in San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s effort to combat species extinction due to wildlife trafficking. She leads the organization’s delegation to the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species, working to help accredited zoos maintain sustainable populations while strengthening international law to fight the extinction crisis.

Bulger received her bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Washington and her JD from California Western School of Law, where she focused her studies on nonprofit law. Bulger is a member of the California Bar Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel, and the American Bar Association. She is a professional member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. As a San Diego native, Bulger visited the world-famous San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park as a child and credits the organization with igniting her passion for wildlife and conservation.