As University of Southern California alumni digest the news of ex-medical school dean Carmen Puliafito’s alleged drug-fueled escapades—and the university’s handling of the scandal—USC’s president announced last week that it had tapped Debra Wong Yang, a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, to conduct a “thorough” investigation.

The university didn’t call the firm’s internal review independent. And the Los Angeles Times, which first broke the USC story, made a point of detailing the strong ties that Yang and her firm have to the school.