Michael Bender

Michael L. Bender served as Chief Justice of the seven-member Colorado Supreme Court. He was selected by his peers to serve as Chief Justice on December 1, 2010, following the retirement of Mary Mullarkey. Justice Bender was appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court by Governor Roy Romer in 1997 under Colorado’s commission-selection judicial appointment system. He was successfully retained by voters in 2000 and 2010 and retired from the bench on January 7, 2014, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 72.

He joined Perkins Coie Law Firm as a litigation partner in 2014 where he practiced law for six years, retiring fully in January 2020.

He continues to serve, primarily his family in many ways including childcare, chauffeuring grandchildren, and grocery shopping. His passions are working out and getting into the mountains.