U of Az Paid Law Firms $1.4 Million In Basketball Corruption Probe Costs

The University of Arizona has spent at least $1.4 million on outside legal work during the 12 months since a former assistant basketball coach was arrested on charges of bribery and fraud – $796,817 to Steptoe & Johnson and $623,822 to Jackson Lewis. The billings were for 3,100 hours of legal work. The university hired Steptoe & Johnson to conduct an independent review of the allegations against coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson, who was arrested during an FBI investigation of corruption in NCAA basketball programs. Jackson Lewis was hired to help with potential NCAA-related issues. Thus far the FBI probe has resulted in allegations that assistant coaches at several schools received payments that violate rules set by the NCAA. The federal complaint against Richardson says he agreed to steer student-athletes toward a company that a would-be sports agent intended to form. Reviews by law firms are becoming increasingly common among public universities embroiled in athletic scandals.