Waiting to be called for yesterday’s hearing, I felt like the kind of lawyer every lawyer thinks they’ll become when their friends and relatives keep telling them, “You should be a lawyer because you like to argue so much.” It was almost fun, anticipating and responding to questions, wearing a suit and saying “Your Honor.” I even realized how much I learned by going to law school and clerking for a federal judge.

I also realized how important it is to be or have an attorney at a hearing like this. The senior attorney across the table from me was far more knowledgeable about this area of the law than I am. I can’t imagine going into such a procedure with no legal training or representation. Since the opposing counsel raised issues beyond the standard of proof set forth in the department’s original determination, the judge said that I could request an adjournment to prepare my closing argument. Of course I requested the adjournment, so this story is To Be Continued.

In the end, I may have to dissolve Red Violet LLC in order to prove that I am “totally unemployed” and that my shirts are merely a hobby. I’m pretty sad about this. On the other hand, I paid a lot of money into the unemployment insurance fund when I was working. As my sister the HR expert put it, “You’ve earned that money.”

In the meantime, I’ll save my rantings about the current laws and policies for a letter to the editor. There are too many other resources for and thoughts about full-breasted women that I can’t wait to share with you tomorrow.