Approval rates
When preparing for your hearing, it is helpful to understand how your judge's approval rates compare to broader benchmarks. His lifetime approval rate of 41% is based on 13,765 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his 44% approval rate trailed the Lansing office average of 52% and the national average of 58%. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of 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 Burgtorf'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 9 years on the bench, your judge has maintained a consistent decision pattern. After an initial period of fluctuation, his approval rates have held relatively steady, generally hovering near his lifetime average. The most recent data shows a 44% approval rate, suggesting a continuation of his established approach to case review. This trend reflects his long-term consistency in evaluating disability evidence.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Burgtorf'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 Burgtorf? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Lansing hearing office
The Lansing Hearing Office serves a significant population across Michigan, managing a high volume of disability claims with a team of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 52%, reflecting the regional landscape of SSDI adjudication. You can expect a formal process focused on detailed medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Lansing Hearing Office page for more information on the local roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses 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 vary significantly, ranging from 36% to 66%. Because of this variance, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
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.