Approval rates
Judge Brown maintains a lifetime approval rate of 68% based on 12,315 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate outperformed the Minneapolis Hearing Office average by 14 percentage points and the national average by 10 percentage points. These figures are derived from a significant volume of cases, providing a stable look at his historical decision-making tendencies. 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 Brown'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 his 4 years on the bench, Judge Brown has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability claims. His yearly approval rates fluctuated between 65% and 71%, showing a steady pattern of adjudication. The most recent data indicates that his approval rate remains well above the local and national averages, reflecting a stable judicial philosophy. This trend suggests that his approach to evaluating medical evidence and vocational factors has remained reliable throughout his tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Brown'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 Brown? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Minneapolis hearing office
The Minneapolis Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Minnesota and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of 6 judges who manage a high volume of disability appeals. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 54%, which provides a baseline for the local jurisdiction. You can see the Minneapolis Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Minneapolis Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 47% to 68%. Because of this variance, the judge you draw can influence the context of your hearing. You can find more information on the Minneapolis 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.