In The Burden of Justice: A DOJ Lawyer’s Testimonial on Truth, Love, and the Human Toll of Mass Shootings (River Grove Books), Paul Stern of the National Park Service reflects on the legal and moral challenges of representing the government in cases involving profound loss, drawing on his experience as lead counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice in litigation arising from the Sutherland Springs and Parkland mass shootings. The memoir explores questions of accountability, foreseeability, gun-safety laws, and the personal toll of navigating the responsibilities of government counsel in the aftermath of tragedy.
Stern currently serves as the Acting Deputy Superintendent of Yosemite National Park. Prior to that position, he served as Senior Counsel for Law Enforcement Policy and Litigation at the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). In that role, he handled an array of legal matters concerning DOI’s law enforcement programs, including policy development, disciplinary proceedings, civil litigation, and contracting. Before joining DOI, Stern spent 13 years as a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) where he represented the United States in some of the most prominent civil actions concerning federal law enforcement activity.