C. Bruce Littlejohn Papers

Cameron Bruce Littlejohn was born in Pacolet, South Carolina to Cameron and Lady Sarah Littlejohn on July 22, 1913. He was the youngest of eight children. Littlejohn entered Wofford College in 1930 to study English and Political Science. He left Wofford after his junior year to enter the University of South Carolina Law School. There, he landed his first elective office as senior class president, and was awarded the LL.B. in 1936. He has since received honorary doctorate degrees from the University of South Carolina, Converse College, Wofford College, and Limestone College. As no written bar examination existed in 1936, Littlejohn and members of his class were sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Stabler upon graduation and signed the role of licensed attorneys permitted to practice law. Five weeks after opening his practice in Spartanburg, he entered the race to represent Spartanburg County in the General Assembly. He toured the county that summer, gathering enough support to win a seat in the House of Representatives. He served four consecutive terms between 1937 and 1943.

Littlejohn resigned from the legislature in the summer of 1943 to enter the U.S. Army, where he served primarily in the quartermaster corps. After the Japanese surrender, he was sent to the Philippines to help prosecute Japanese war criminals for the International War Crimes Commission. On his return to South Carolina in 1946, Littlejohn successfully recaptured his seat in the legislature. When incumbent Speaker Solomon Blatt announced he would not seek re-election, Littlejohn announced his candidacy for the speakership, and won, defeating Thomas H. Pope, Jr., in 1947 by seventeen votes. In addition to his legislative duties, Littlejohn also practiced law with the firm of Odom, Bostick, Littlejohn, and Nolen.

Although Littlejohn spent a great deal of 1948 and early 1949 campaigning for Speaker, he also hoped to win a legislative appointment to the South Carolina Circuit Court, filling the vacancy that would be left by Judge Thomas Sease's retirement in Dec. 1949. This required him to mount a remarkable “dual” campaign, as the election for circuit judge fell just one month after the election for Speaker. Although he encountered little opposition in either race, he campaigned fervently, asserting that “in politics, nothing can be taken for granted and I am pursuing the matter from all angles just as though other candidates were already in the race.” [6/8/48] For months he corresponded almost daily with legislators and other individuals from around the state. On January 11, 1949, Littlejohn was re-elected Speaker without opposition. On Feb. 9, 1949, he was elected resident judge of the Seventh Circuit Court, defeating Senator Bruce White and Representative Arnold Merchant. He resigned as Speaker on May 12 and stepped down from the General Assembly on Sept. 14. Littlejohn assumed his seat on the bench on Dec. 15, 1949.

Littlejohn's transition from the legislature to the circuit court marked the beginning of a productive and challenging judicial career. In his new position, Littlejohn continued to merit the respect of colleagues from around the state, as he had during his years in the legislature. A letter from House Speaker Solomon Blatt, dated July 14, 1952, illustrates this esteem—“I miss you in the House. I can now see you standing with the rule book in your hand. We had some lively fights in your day and I believe we did a good job as the result of those friendly controversies....I have heard many fine compliments paid you in the fair and able manner in which you preside as a Judge.” Littlejohn's judicial acumen and far-sightedness was manifested in the innovative approaches his court introduced to South Carolina, including the opening statement and the pre-trial conference.

The death of Chief Justice Claude A. Taylor on January 20, 1966, created a vacancy on the state Supreme Court. Littlejohn, fellow Judge Julius B. “Bubba” Ness, state Senator Rembert C. Dennis and former Governor George Bell Timmerman each declared their candidacy. In five months of weekly balloting, no candidate was able to obtain the necessary number of votes to win the election. As the general elections in Nov. came and passed, Littlejohn campaigned to gather the support of challengers as well as incumbents. After thirteen additional weeks of balloting, the voting pattern averaged Littlejohn 70, Ness 60, Dennis 29, and Timmerman 7, leaving the General Assembly to adjourn for the winter with the position unfilled. When the Assembly reconvened in 1967, having seated several freshman legislators, Littlejohn's early efforts paid off. Dennis dropped from the race, Timmerman opted to focus his energies on a circuit judgeship, and Littlejohn received pledges from 47 new members. On January 25, 1967, Littlejohn defeated Ness by 41 votes, and was elected associate justice. Littlejohn was easily re-elected to a full ten-year term in 1972, and again in 1982.

Littlejohn's tenure as associate justice firmly established his commitment to judicial reform in South Carolina. He was especially involved in reviewing and determining the standards for admission of new attorneys and judges to practice law in South Carolina. Between 1981 and 1987 Littlejohn played a particularly active role in Continuing Legal Education seminars sponsored in part by the South Carolina Bar Association. One seminar series in which Littlejohn participated for several years, “Bridge the Gap,” assisted attorneys new to the Bar through the transition from law school to actual practice. The South Carolina Judicial Conference benefited from Littlejohn's contributions as a conference coordinator as well as participant for almost two decades. Between 1969 and 1988, Littlejohn visited and corresponded regularly with members of the Conference to develop, revise and amend the circuit court rules. Littlejohn was also concerned with sentencing disparities among judges. In a letter to Judge Ness dated Oct. 29, 1985, he wrote, “I am convinced that many of the 'Baby Ruth' judges would impose more realistic sentences...if they were required to explain why so many candy bars are being handed out.” Littlejohn's service on the Sentencing Alternatives Advisory Committee of the Department of Parole and Community Corrections, as well as his participation in seminars regarding sentencing issues throughout the 1980s and 1990s, reflect his commitment to reform.

Littlejohn's participation in national conferences was equally notable. Motivated by the conviction that “law school accreditation is a farce...to assure good working conditions for the faculty but little...to assure a good education for the law student,” [9/29/82] he sought to improve accreditation standards as well as the integrity of the profession. Between 1962 and 1985 he regularly attended annual and semi-annual conferences of the American Bar Association as well as the Association's special sessions for appellate judges and state trial judges. Throughout the 1980s he served on the Implementation Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States, which studied and made recommendations governing attorneys' admission to federal practice. He also attended the National Center for State Courts' Conference of Chief Justices as delegate for Chief Justice Woodrow Lewis.

In 1984, Justice Lewis reached retirement age, providing Littlejohn the opportunity to run for the office. His longtime colleague and sole potential opponent, “Bubba” Ness, chose not to run. On Feb. 8, 1984 Littlejohn assumed the office of Chief Justice, to serve the remainder of Lewis' unexpired term. He was elected to a full ten year term on May 9, although he would reach mandatory retirement age the following July. During his sixteen months in office, he helped settle the rule-making authority issue that had divided the judiciary and legislature for years. This bold compromise granted the legislature veto power over court rules with a three-fifths vote of the General Assembly. Littlejohn considered this compromise “the most important accomplishment of my administration as Chief Justice.” [South Carolina Forum, July-Sep 1991] Littlejohn retired as Chief Justice on July 22, 1985, at the age of 72.

Littlejohn continued well into the 1990s to hold court and offer opinions as Chief Justice, Retired. Additionally, he was a prolific writer. He is the author of three books, Laugh with the Judge [1974], a collection of amusing courtroom incidents that occurred between 1949 and 1974; Littlejohn’s Half-Century at the Bench and Bar [1987], an historical account of changes in the South Carolina court system between 1936 and 1986; and Littlejohn’s Political Memoirs [1989], a firsthand review of South Carolina politics from 1936 to 1988. His popular writing style and the breadth of his experiences proved to be a successful combination. The reputation of Laugh with the Judge even reached a member of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, who wrote: “In one of the recent issues of the American Bar Association Journal, I was really impressed to find a brief and lucid introduction of your worthy book... I am, therefore, venturing to write you with the request that you may please extend the grace of getting a copy of this esteemed publication.” [10/20/75] Greenville U.S. District Judge Joe Anderson, Jr. described Littlejohn’s Half-Century as “an invaluable research tool for scholars and others interested in our profession and the history of our state.” [2/4/88] For a number of years, Littlejohn contributed a regular column to the South Carolina State Bar‟s newsletter The Transcript, titled “Chatting with the Bar.” Several of his articles were also published in national law journals.

Judge Littlejohn passed away April 21, 2007.