Former DOJ Attorney Explores the Human Cost of Justice in New Book About Mass Shootings

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What does justice look like when the government is tasked with defending itself against lawsuits brought by families who have suffered unimaginable losses?

That is the difficult question former U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney Paul Stern explores in his new book, The Burden of Justice: A DOJ Lawyer’s Testimonial on Truth, Love, and the Human Toll of Mass Shootings.

Released Sept. 1, 2026, the memoir offers a personal account of Stern’s experience representing the federal government in litigation stemming from two of the nation's deadliest mass shootings — the 2017 shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

In Sutherland Springs, a gunman killed 26 people at a church. In Parkland, a former student killed 17 people at a high school. Both tragedies resulted in lawsuits raising questions about government responsibility and whether the shootings could have been prevented.

For Stern, who served as lead counsel for the DOJ, his professional responsibility was to defend the government against claims brought by grieving families.

Paul Stern

His role placed him in a difficult position: arguing that the government was not legally responsible for the deaths while confronting the devastating consequences of the shootings and the suffering of those left behind.

Rather than focusing solely on courtroom proceedings or legal arguments, Stern examines the emotional and moral challenges that accompanied his work.

The book explores questions surrounding accountability, including whether individuals or institutions can be held responsible for the criminal actions of others, whether warning signs could have prevented the tragedies and how effective gun-safety laws are in preventing mass shootings.

It also examines the personal toll of defending a legal position that may conflict with one's own emotions and sense of compassion.

Stern spent 13 years as a trial attorney with the Department of Justice, handling cases involving some of the country's most significant and controversial events.

In addition to the mass shooting litigation, his work included cases stemming from the FBI's investigation following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and litigation involving prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

He concluded his federal government career serving as acting deputy superintendent of Yosemite National Park.

Through The Burden of Justice, Stern invites readers to consider the difference between legal responsibility and moral accountability — and the emotional burden carried by those whose professional duties place them on the opposite side of grieving families in a courtroom.

The memoir also raises a broader question about the American justice system: Even when courts reach a legal resolution, can that outcome provide a meaningful sense of justice to people whose lives have been permanently changed by violence?

About the Book

The Burden of Justice: A DOJ Lawyer’s Testimonial on Truth, Love, and the Human Toll of Mass Shootings was published by River Grove Books and released Sept. 1, 2026.

ISBN-13: 979-8900520049. The book is available through Amazon.

Editorial note: 

Because this story is based on a publisher's press release, the description of Stern's experiences and the book's themes reflects the publisher's account. The story does not suggest that the courts found the federal government free of responsibility in either case.

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