AN ACTIVIST ATTORNEY AND POLICY EXPERT

Jonathan Bender is an attorney practicing on his own; before founding his firm, he practiced law at Hogan and Hartson, LLP. He has sought and obtained positive change through public interest litigation. Earlier, he assisted task forces at the Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government that included governors, federal agency heads, and federal judges (one of whom soon became a Supreme Court justice). He has educated and advised members of Congress and their staffs and foreign dignitaries on technology policy and law. He holds a law degree cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, an MPA in Science and Technology Policy from Columbia University, and a BA with distinction in the major from the University of Pennsylvania.

A COMMUNITY LEADER

Jonathan Bender co-founded and led a community group that obtained speed cameras to slow speeding commuter vehicles and rush hour turn restrictions to prevent commuters from cutting through our neighborhood. He served on the board of directors of another group that obtained a new playground for Fort Bayard Park. He has been appointed to a community task force by Council Member Cheh, serves as a delegate and precinct captain to the Ward 3 Democratic organization, and has helped shape the debate in online community forums.

A LONG-TIME RESIDENT AND PUBLIC SCHOOL PARENT

Jonathan Bender and his wife Elizabeth have lived in DC since 1991 and in AU Park since 1995. They have a 10-year old daughter who attends Janney Elementary, and 3-year old son who will soon. Jonathan knows public education is vital and has pressed for resources to reduce class sizes. Likewise, each day when he picks his daughter up from Janney and passes detached homes, duplexes, rowhomes, Friendship Terrace, and Cityline, he sees the remarkable diversity in age, family status, and housing we share, diversity on which he would seek to build at the ANC.