Page 25 - The American Lawyer Trailblazers - South 2022

Washington, D.C.

Donald P. Salzman

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

What was the genesis of the idea/path that has made you a trailblazer?
I’ve struggled for a phrase that captures the motivating force behind my pro bono criminal legal system work, and
I keep coming back to “There but for the grace of God, go I.” Another reality, my “White privilege,” isn’t something
I could articulate decades ago, but resonates with me today. I recognize that, but for the privileges that sheltered
me, I could have been my clients. My privilege, not moral or other “choices” I’ve made, distinguishes my circum-
stances from theirs.
What sort of change has resulted from the concept?
My work as Skadden’s pro bono counsel is part of a broader reform effort propelled by the innocence movement.
DNA, more than any other development, has shed light on our unreliable criminal system. DNA—and other mod-
ern, evidence-based scientific advancements—have discredited previously widely accepted junk-sciences, releas-
ing countless wrongly-convicted, innocent people, including my clients, and has spurred significant reforms. My
“Shaken Baby Syndrome” (SBS) and false confession innocence victories (for clients who spent decades in prison
for crimes they did not commit) exemplify the years required to overcome entrenched resistance from the crimi-
nal legal system.
Beyond my innocence work, the 2021 federal execution of my intellectually disabled client is a powerful motivator
and reminder of how far we are from a truly fair system.
What bearing will this have on the future?
Until truth overpowers finality, which currently preserves dubious convictions and sentences, justice will remain
elusive or take too long to achieve; my false confession cases took over a decade to resolve, and my SBS case over
7 years. I’m an optimist and, therefore, hopeful—despite much work left to do and many changes that are urgently
needed to achieve a fair and just criminal legal system.

Danielle M. Varnell

Bracewell

What was the genesis of the idea/path that has made you a trailblazer?
Ensuring that our clients are fully prepared to participate in the energy transition is critical to me. My focus on
renewable energy and the energy transition began more than 15 years ago when I first advised a client – one I
still work closely with today – on launching its nascent solar business. Little did I know then that one early-stage
development solar deal would advance my career in an entirely new and exciting direction. It morphed almost
overnight into a power M&A and development practice with a focus on renewable energy.
What sort of change has resulted from the concept?
Changing my career path from a general corporate practice to one with a focus on renewable energy and innova-
tive clean technologies taught me that when you are truly passionate about what you are doing, it makes the dif-
ference between a career that is just fine to one that is exciting and constantly evolving. Professionally speaking,
when I started focusing on renewable energy, it was driven mainly by tax credits; there was concern that if the tax
credits expired, the future of renewable energy might also be in jeopardy. This thinking has certainly evolved such
that there is increased focus, both from a policy standpoint and from the energy-consumer standpoint, on the
importance of developing a diverse mix of power resources to include solar, onshore and offshore wind, battery
storage, hydrogen, natural gas and carbon capture and sequestration.

What bearing will this have on the future?
One of the most rewarding aspects of my career is that the projects I work on are critical to the United States’ en-
ergy transition and provide sustainable, energy-efficient solutions to our nation’s power needs.

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