Bonnie Bulla

Bonnie Bulla is a judge for Department 3 of the Nevada Court of Appeals. She assumed office on March 4, 2019. Her current term ends on December 31, 2028.

Bulla ran for re-election for the Department 3 judge of the Nevada Court of Appeals. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Biography

Bonnie Bulla was born in Phoenix, Arizona. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in 1984 and a J.D. from Arizona State University College of Law in 1987. Bulla’s career experience includes working as an attorney, hearing master, and judge of the Nevada Court of Appeals. In 2007, she was appointed Discovery Commissioner of the Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court and served in that role until 2019.^[1]

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Nevada Court of Appeals Department 3

Incumbent Bonnie Bulla won election in the general election for Nevada Court of Appeals Department 3 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Bonnie Bulla (Nonpartisan)	73.5	639,507
	Other/Write-in votes	26.5	230,071

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 869,578
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Bonnie Bulla advanced from the primary for Nevada Court of Appeals Department 3.

2020

General election

General election for Nevada Court of Appeals Department 3

Incumbent Bonnie Bulla defeated Susan Bush in the general election for Nevada Court of Appeals Department 3 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Bonnie Bulla (Nonpartisan)	42.2	499,827
	Susan Bush (Nonpartisan)	35.6	422,377
	Other/Write-in votes	22.2	263,183

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,185,387
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Bonnie Bulla and Susan Bush advanced from the primary for Nevada Court of Appeals Department 3.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

Bonnie Bulla did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Bonnie Bulla completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bulla's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am the incumbent Judge in Department 3 of the Nevada Court of Appeals, and am running to retain my seat this November. I was appointed in 2019 by Governor Sisolak. Prior to being elevated to the court of appeals, I served on the bench for more than 12 years as the Discovery Commissioner for the Eighth Judicial District Court, where I resolved thousands of civil matters which came before me during that time.

I am a summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa 1984 graduate of Arizona State University, and received my Juris Doctorate in 1987 from the ASU College of Law. I moved to Nevada immediately after law school, and began a 19-year career as a litigator. I worked with several firms and some of the finest attorneys in the State, until I became Discovery Commissioner in 2007.

I have for many years possessed an “AV Preeminent” attorney rating by Martindale-Hubbell for the highest level of professional excellence, and have served as an officer and president of several prestigious professional organizations, included the ABA Young Lawyers' Division, the McKibben Chapter of the American Inns of Court, and the Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys. In addition, I was a member of the NV Supreme Court Rules Committee, the Eighth Judicial District Court Rules Committee, a grader of the Nevada Bar Exam, and a long-time volunteer at my church assisting the homeless and economically disadvantaged.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Nevadans need and deserve judges on the Nevada Court of Appeals - our state's second highest court - who are experienced, qualified, and respected by their colleagues, peers, and the public.
Being a Judge on the Nevada Court of Appeals is the culmination of 32 years of hard work, perseverance and commitment to the law. It would be an honor to continue to serve the people of Nevada.
Being an appellate judge requires the skills to solve complex legal problems and handle the high volume of cases that come before the court I love the work, and I'm good at it.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about "access to justice" for all who need legal services.

I also believe in the importance of continuing professional education. As Discovery Commissioner, I was a frequent lecturer on discovery matters to lawyers and paraprofessionals. As a judge on the Nevada Court of Appeals, I continue to present Continuing Legal Education programs for practicing lawyers and judges on a variety of topics, including the new civil rules of procedure, ethics, effective oral argument, selected recent criminal decisions, and family law updates.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Early in my career, I had the great fortune to work with and be mentored by several of the most dedicated, brilliant and tough lawyers I have had the pleasure to know: Neil Galatz, Allan Earl, and Tim Williams. While Neil and Allan have since passed away, the Hon. Timothy C. Williams continues to serve as a respected jurist on the Eighth Judicial District Court.

First as an associate lawyer, and then as a partner in the firm I worked on a wide variety of complex litigated matters. Rather than simply telling me the answers to legal problems, Neil, Allan and Tim taught me different methods to distinguish the issues, approach problems and find solutions.

Allan Earl was a particularly excellent cross-examiner, who taught me how to articulate the strengths and weaknesses of opposing arguments. The Hon. Allan R. Earl went on to have a long and distinguished career on the bench, as a judge on the Eighth Judicial District Court.

Neil Galatz was one of the best legal strategists, tacticians and trial lawyers I have ever known. As a young lawyer, he taught me what it took to be an effective advocate for my clients, and how to litigate and negotiate both against and with other counsel. He not only educated me on how to maneuver through legal mine fields, but also, and perhaps more importantly, how to recognize and appreciate the differences and similarities between and among various legal positions.

Tim Williams taught me the importance of solid legal research to the strength of a case. His guidance fostered a strong appreciation for the power of the law, as well as the excitement that comes from analyzing a difficult legal problem and bringing it to resolution.

I have been truly privileged to be able to learn the lessons these fine individuals taught me during my early years as a Nevada lawyer. They are lessons I carry with me with gratitude to those who guided me.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I am the incumbent judge, seeking retention.

Would you be interested in serving on a higher court in the future? If so, which court appeals to you?

No.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.