Appeal deadline questions after an unemployment denial

I was told my separation was for misconduct, which is not what happened. It has been a long 17 weeks. The letter lists a deadline and a hearing process, but it is hard to follow. Should I ask someone for free legal help?

I printed my emails in order and wrote a one-page timeline. The hearing officer kept going back to it.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.