Walden was the attorney for Grigory Rodchenkov , the former director of Russia 's national anti-doping laboratory . Rodchenkov 's role as a whistle-blower helped expose Russia 's state-sponsored doping system . Crucially , Rodchenkov kept a contemporaneous diary that included entries related to the doping system he oversaw . The diaries detailed specific discussions about cheating that Rodchenkov conducted with prominent Russian officials . On December 5 , 2017 , the International Olympic Committee announced its decision to ban Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics . Rodchenkov 's work is detailed in the Netflix documentary '' Icarus '' which includes a brief appearance by Walden discussing how Rodchenkov 's life is in danger following his revelations about Russian doping . At the 90th Academy Awards , given out in March 2018 , the film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature
90th Academy Awards
90th Academy Awards
Jim Walden (lawyer)