Roy L. Pearson Jr., who sued a dry cleaners for $54 million over a missing pair of pants, is getting a chance to revive the case.

More than a year after his lawsuit was rejected by a judge in D.C. Superior Court, Pearson has persuaded an appellate panel to review the case. The D.C. Court of Appeals will hear arguments Oct. 22, officials said.

Pearson drew international attention with the suit against Custom Cleaners, a Northeast Washington shop he said lost his pants in spring 2005. Among other things, he claimed that he was defrauded by a "Satisfaction Guaranteed" sign posted by the owners, Soo and Jin Chung.

In a separate case, he is suing the District government, alleging that it broke the law when it decided against reappointing him last year to a 10-year term as an administrative law judge, a job that paid $100,000 a year. The commission that oversees administrative law judges challenged his judgment and temperament during two years on the bench...