Approval rates
Judge Brookins has issued 15,807 lifetime decisions during her 10 years on the bench. Her latest approval rate of 50% compares to an office average of 52% and a national average of 58%. These figures reflect the judge's historical approach to disability claims rather than a guarantee of your future outcome. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
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 Brookins'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 her decade-long tenure, Judge Brookins has shown a consistent decision pattern with an overall approval rate of 57%. While her yearly trends have fluctuated—reaching a high of 69% in 2024 before settling to 50% in the most recent period—the volume of her 15,807 lifetime decisions suggests a steady judicial philosophy. This recent shift may reflect changes in case volume or the specific evidence presented in recent dockets. Understanding these trends helps you prepare your medical documentation effectively.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Brookins'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 Brookins? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Wichita hearing office
The Wichita (Kansas) Hearing Office serves a broad population across the region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 52%. You can expect a formal hearing process where the quality of your medical records and vocational testimony is paramount. See the Wichita Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Wichita Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning you cannot choose your judge. The 6 judges at this office demonstrate a wide range of lifetime approval rates, spanning from 38% to 66%. This variance highlights why your specific medical evidence is the most important factor in your claim. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.