Approval rates
Judge Ambrose maintains a lifetime approval rate of 66% based on 22,780 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, this rate reached 79%, which is 14 points higher than the local office average and 8 points above the national average. These figures provide a statistical look at how cases have been decided over the last decade. These rates reflect historical trends rather than a guarantee of your specific outcome.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Ambrose's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Over a 10-year tenure, your judge's approval rate has shown notable fluctuations. After a period of decline between 2021 and 2023, the rate has trended upward, reaching 79% in the most recent reporting period. This recent shift represents a departure from the mid-range figures seen in the middle of the judge's career. These variations may reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented in recent years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Ambrose's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Ambrose? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Lansing hearing office
The Lansing Hearing Office serves residents across Michigan, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office operates under the broader SSA guidelines for administrative hearings. You can expect a formal process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Lansing Hearing Office page for more information on the local bench.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Lansing Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 36% to 66%. Because each judge has a unique approach to evaluating evidence, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful. You can view the full roster of judges at the Lansing Hearing Office page.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.