Meet the Shelter PALS Team
Lindsay Tang
General Counsel
Lindsay Tang serves as General Counsel and oversees all legal matters at the SF SPCA.
After earning her J.D. from Northwestern University, Lindsay began her career in-house at a leading technology company where she had a broad international corporate governance practice. She then practiced at national law firms in Silicon Valley, counseling clients on intellectual property issues in mergers and acquisitions. In her current role, Lindsay applies her corporate experience by handling governance issues and working directly with the SF SPCA Board of Directors. She also handles litigation, trust and estate matters, and manages outside counsel. In her role with Shelter PALS, Lindsay identifies California shelters in need of assistance, coordinates joint efforts with other progressive animal welfare organizations, and assists pro bono counsel in drafting template legal documents.
Lindsay has nine dogs, four of which she adopted from the SF SPCA, and several small pets. In addition to rescuing animals, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and studying foreign languages
Bruce Wagman
Lead Counsel
For almost three decades, Bruce Wagman has been using his legal education and well-honed skills to help animals in all sectors of society, and benefit both society and the animals themselves.
He is the only lawyer running an exclusive animal law practice in a major United States firm. He litigates, drafts animal-friendly legislation, oversees rescue operations, and consults clients who care for and protect animals. He has published two major works, the leading casebook for law schools nationwide—Animal Law: Cases and Materials—and a global survey of animal laws, A Worldview of Animal Law, the only global survey of animal law. Bruce also founded Project Chimps, a chimpanzee sanctuary that is home to chimpanzees retired from a research laboratory.
Bruce’s forte is the kind of creative lawyering it takes to fit animal interests into the legal world, and his clients regularly applaud his ability to model solutions and take on the toughest problems. His practice covers a broad range of animal-related legal issues‐including cases involving the use of animals in entertainment, biomedical research, animal agriculture/food production, animal cruelty, and wildlife control. He has a long history of wide-ranging “impact litigation,” but he also loves to work with individuals on cases involving dog bites, animal custody disputes, and injuries to, and caused by, animals. Bruce brings an undeniable passion for each of his cases, a dedication to both his human clients and the animals involved, and he has a proven ability to turn that passion into winning arguments both in and out of the courtroom. He takes an “eyes on the prize” approach to all of his matters.
Bruce’s clients include numerous animal protection organizations as well as private individuals. He has worked on behalf of many species, including alpacas, bears, birds, cats, chickens, chinchillas, chimpanzees, cows, deer, dogs, dolphins, ducks, elephants, elk, ferrets, geese, goats, gorillas, horses (domestic and wild), lions, mice, monkeys, pigs, rabbits, sharks, turkeys, whales, and wolves. In addition to his role as Lead Counsel of Shelter PALS, Bruce currently serves as Of Counsel at Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP.
Barbara Schmitz
Animal Welfare Advocacy Counsel
Barbara currently serves as Animal Welfare Advocacy Counsel and is in charge of the SF SPCA Advocacy program. She has over 20 years of experience in public policy and advocacy on behalf of animals nationwide. Most recently, Barbara was the Staff Services Manager for the State of California. She previously served as the Director of Advocacy and Outreach for Alley Cat Allies and State Director for the Humane Society of the United States.
“Animal shelters in California are facing significant and mounting challenges; intake numbers are rising while the national veterinary staffing shortage continues to worsen,” said Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, CEO of the SF SPCA. “Barbara has the experience and policy background needed to expand Shelter PALS services and help shelters save lives.”
Barbara also has experience providing pro bono legal support to organizations such as Legal Services of Eastern Missouri’s Volunteer Lawyer Program, St. Louis Animal Rights Team, Missouri’s Humane Advocacy Network, and Missouri River Otter Protection Coalition. Barbara received her JD from the St. Louis University School of Law.
Interested in joining us?
We are looking for the best and brightest in the animal welfare world. If you’re an attorney or other professional, email us for information on how you can help.
