Myra Colby Bradwell (February 12, 1831 – February 14, 1894) was an American publisher and political activist. She attempted in 1869 to become the first woman to be admitted to the Illinois bar to practice law, but was denied admission by the Illinois Supreme Court in 1870 and the United States Supreme Court in 1873, in rulings upholding a separate women's sphere. Bradwell had founded and published Chicago Legal News from 1868, reporting on the law and continued that work. Meanwhile, influenced by her case, in 1872 the Illinois legislature passed a state law prohibiting gender discrimination in admission to any occupation or profession (with the exception of the military).

In 1890, the Illinois Supreme Court on its own motion granted Bradwell admission to the Illinois bar, and the United States Supreme Court followed suit two years later. In 1994, Myra Bradwell was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

Myra Colby was born on February 12, 1831, in Manchester, Vermont, to Eben Colby and Abigail Willey. She lived with her family in Vermont and Western New York during her childhood. When she was twelve, the family moved to Schaumburg, Illinois. She attended schools in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and later enrolled in Elgin Female Seminary in Illinois.

In 1852, Myra Colby married James B. Bradwell. Two years later they moved to Memphis, Tennessee. James Bradwell was the head of a private school, where Myra Bradwell also became a teacher. She completed her formal education by age 24 and taught herself the practice of law. She became a school teacher after she graduated.

In 1855, they moved to Chicago, where James Bradwell was admitted to the Chicago Bar. He became a successful lawyer and judge. In 1873, he was elected to the General Assembly. The couple had four children: James, Myra, Thomas, and Bessi Bradwell. James and Myra died at an early age.

A few years after marrying James Bradwell, Myra Bradwell started her formal law training when her husband was admitted to the Illinois Bar. She was an apprentice in her husband's office and assisted him with legal research and writing. Complications arose because of coverture laws, which prohibited married women from holding property. The ability to hold property was necessary to become even a notary public.

Myra Bradwell raised funds to help aid the wounded soldiers during the American Civil War. She was also a member of the Northwestern Sanitary Commission.

In 1868, Bradwell founded the Chicago Legal News. With her husband's legal help, she persuaded the Illinois legislature to pass a law so that she could serve as both editor and business manager of the Chicago Legal News Company (it had other publications, and produced stationery and legal forms). Although the paper's offices were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, it continued to publish. The widely circulated paper published information about court opinions, laws, and court ordinances, and also had a muckraking function. Its reporters criticized corruption within the local bar and judiciary and urged railroad regulation. Bradwell also was determined to improve women's status in society, so the paper included a column entitled "Law Relating to Women".