Jones Day Talks®: Operation Varsity Blues and the Need for Internal Controls at Academic Institutions

Jones Day Talks

As the infamous college admissions scandal unraveled, it became clear that aside from the illegal activities of the defendants – who included the principal of an admissions consulting firm, coaches and staff at certain universities, and the parents of college applicants – the case exposed potential problem areas for academic institutions related to their compliance protocols, internal controls, and the overall monitoring of the admissions process.

“Operation Varsity Blues,” was handled by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, under the leadership of then-U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling. Now an Investigations & White Collar partner based in Jones Day’s Boston Office, Mr. Lelling shares his perspectives on what made the Operation Varsity Blues investigation so successful and impactful and explains the lessons and insights universities, colleges and other organizations should consider in reacting to this scandal and preparing to avoid the next.

Read the full transcript on the Jones Day website.