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As recent law schools graduates can attest, the odds of finding the ideal job, legal or otherwise, after graduation have been dramatically lowered by the recession.

But the reality doesn’t necessarily meet the perception of aspiring lawyers who apply to law school.

“For a lot of people the idea is that by simply having a law degree, there are going to be numerous job opportunities,” said 2008 Marquette Law School graduate Nicholas M. Lagerwall, who landed a job in the Madison office of Foley & Lardner just before the economic meltdown. “That certainly isn’t the case.”

The American Bar Association is evaluating law school transparency standards and whether accredited institutions should be required to provide information such as job placement statistics and expected salaries to those accepted to law school.

Despite the shrinking job market, law school applications continue to climb. This year Marquette Law School received a record 2,301 applications and UW Law School received its second highest total of 2,829.

Recent graduates in Wisconsin suggested that for the most part, the state’s two law schools do a decent job of letting students know at the outset what to expect once they join the profession.

But attorneys also said that figures alone do not paint an accurate picture.

“The numbers we thought we were getting into did not quite reflect the reality of what we saw when it came time to graduate,” said 2010 University of Wisconsin Law School graduate Kyle B. Flanagan.

Of the 275 UW Law School graduates in 2009, 267 responded to the school’s job survey and 247, or 93 percent, reported employment.

Given that law schools are not required to differentiate between legal jobs and jobs in general when reporting employment statistics, UW Law School Assistant Dean for Career Services Jane Heymann conceded that prospective students can get the wrong impression.

UW Law School stopped posting its placement data on its website two years ago because it was difficult to present it in a way that didn’t appear misleading.

Now, applicants have to contact the law school to get information on placement rates or salary averages.

“I ask them to tell me what quarter of the class you are going to end up in and I’ll tell you your job prospects,” Heymann said. “If you are not in the top quarter, then you are not going to end up at a big law firm that pays a high starting salary.”

Heymann said that should the ABA determine that law schools should provide more specific information to applicants and students on job placement or salaries, UW would abide by those requirements.

The law school currently reports employment statistics to the ABA, the National Association of Legal Career Professionals and U.S. News & World Report.

“It’s just that everyone, including now the ABA, agrees that the information that all law schools are required to provide, and the formats in which we are asked to provide it, don’t seem to be getting the message across effectively to prospective students,” she said. “I have no idea what the ABA will ultimately require, but we will obviously comply with whatever requirements they impose on ABA-accredited law schools.”

Marquette posts annual employment statistics on its website and breaks down by percentage what area of the law graduates find jobs, such as private practice or public interest along with corresponding salary ranges.

But while 88 percent of the 212 graduates last year landed jobs, there is no indication of how many of those jobs were law-related.

Marquette’s Assistant Dean for Career Planning Paul Katzman said he would favor a change to either have prospective students call his office, or provide more detailed information online.

“I don’t think there is any benefit to creating a perception that is misleading or false” he said. “Especially for us manning the back door, that can create a disgruntled student body and alumni base.”

2010 UW Law School graduate Kyle D. Rostowfske agreed that on the surface, job placement statistics can appear misleading, despite being true.

“It’s kind of like lawyer speak, because it’s not lying if you say 90 percent found jobs,” said the solo practitioner. “But there is a difference between law jobs and jobs in general.”

Law schools are not completely to blame though, because as Heymann noted, the statistics are only as good as the responses received from graduates. Law schools disclose what percentage of its graduates are employed nine months after graduation.

If a graduate opts not to respond or a disproportionate number of graduates who work at large law firms respond, the numbers can be skewed, she said.

“It’s hard to give people a very accurate picture of what most people earn,” she said. “Recent grads, especially those who earn very little, are reluctant or embarrassed to admit what they make.”

Rostowfske, who only practices part-time, said he didn’t respond to the UW employment survey as a matter of personal preference, not economics.

Michael Best & Friedrich attorney and 2008 Marquette Law School graduate Aaron K. Nodolf likes the idea of informing accepted applicants of the risks associated with law school, but he also said it’s important to look beyond the numbers.

He said the biggest benefit to providing upfront information would be to educate “fringe law school applicants” who can then decide whether to pursue a legal career.

For some, the realization that not every attorney makes six figures at a large firm could prompt some to reconsider the investment, suggested Katzman.

Lagerwall said in the end, it’s up to the individual applicant to do his or her homework before attending law school.

“I think anybody with a decent head on their shoulders would invest a little more time having a couple of conversations with folks at a law school, than just looking at a couple of statistics on a law school website,” he said.

Jack Zemlicka can be reached at [email protected].