Michael L. Bender (born January 7, 1942) is an American attorney and jurist, who served as the 44th Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court. Bender earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1964 and a law degree from the University of Colorado Law School in 1967. Prior to becoming a judge, he worked in private practice, for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and as a public defender in Denver and Jefferson County and for the state. Bender also taught criminal law, criminal trial advocacy, and employment discrimination law at the University of Denver College of Law.