As law students get ready to graduate into one of the toughest job markets in decades, some are facing especially long odds.

The 90 students expected to graduate this spring from the inaugural class of Lincoln Memorial University's Duncan School of Law in Knoxville, Tenn., may not be able to take some jobs even if they can find them, because the school still hasn't been accredited by the American Bar Association.

The students are among the hundreds of graduates-to-be at dozens of U.S. law schools that are operating without the ABA's seal of approval.

In Duncan's case, that means students are paying $80,000 to $100,000 apiece to earn a degree that so far isn't worth anything outside of Tennessee. Some students feel they were misled by administrators, who they say framed accreditation as a mere formality.

This week, Duncan faces a crucial test when a team from the ABA will arrive on campus to assess the school in a new attempt to win accreditation after being turned down two years ago.