John Light Napier

For other people with the same name, see John Napier (disambiguation).

John Light Napier (born May 16, 1947) is a politician, lawyer, former member of the United States House of Representatives, and judge from South Carolina.

John Light Napier attended public schools in Marlboro County, South Carolina, before college. He graduated from Davidson College in 1969 and earned a J.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1972, while serving as a first lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve (which he served in until 1977).

Napier was admitted to the bar in 1972, and also began to serve as legislative assistant to United States Senator Strom Thurmond, while serving as minority counsel on both the Subcommittee on Administrative Practices and Procedures and the Committee on Veterans Affairs. In 1976, he was made Senator Thurmond's chief legal assistant and legal counsel. In 1977, Napier returned to the private practice of law in Bennettsville, South Carolina, which he maintained until 1980.

In 1980, Napier was elected to the 97th United States Congress as a Representative from South Carolina's 6th congressional district. He served in this capacity until 1983, having lost his bid for reelection in 1982 to Democrat Robin Tallon.

Following his defeat in the 1982 election, Napier returned to the private practice of law in Bennettsville, until 1986, when President Ronald Reagan appointed him as judge in the United States Claims Court. He resigned from the court in 1989 and returned to private practice. In 1992 he served as special outside counsel in the House Committee on House Administration’s investigation of the Congressional Post Office scandal.