Marc Bender is the Hearing Advocate at Council 36. He has 30 years of legal experience behind him, including as a Litigation Training Supervisor at his previous employer, Bet Tzedek (House of Justice) Legal Services in Los Angeles. While at this legal aid agency, Marc organized the staff and they elected to unionize -- becoming one of Council 36's first private nonprofit sector Local Unions (now called AFSCME Local 946).  He then served as President of the Local. Marc has three decades of experience as a social justice advocate, including expertise in protecting and promoting the interests of exploited, largely immigrant, workers in sweatshops in Los Angeles.