Approval rates
Judge Burrichter maintains a lifetime approval rate of 36% based on a docket of 20,718 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his 38% approval rate trailed the Topeka KS office average by 7 percentage points and the national average by 22 percentage points. These figures provide a statistical baseline for his courtroom activity over the last decade. 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 Burrichter'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Burrichter has seen his approval rates fluctuate. After a low of 31% in 2021, the data shows an upward trend, reaching 40% in 2025. This recent activity reflects a shift in his decision-making process compared to his earlier career years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Burrichter'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 Burrichter? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Topeka KS hearing office
The Topeka KS Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Kansas and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of ALJs who manage a high volume of disability claims annually. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 43%, which serves as a local benchmark for the region. You can visit the Topeka KS Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Topeka KS office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 24% to 60%. This variance highlights why preparation is essential 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.