Approval rates
Judge Burstein has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 46% over a decade of service. In the most recent reporting period, the judge's approval rate was 42%, compared to an office-wide average of 57% and a national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 17,712 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of your specific 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 Burstein'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Burstein's approval rate has fluctuated, peaking at 54% in 2016. The recent approval rate of 42% reflects a continuation of patterns observed in recent years, where the rate has held between 41% and 46%. This trend suggests a stable approach to case evaluation. The data indicates that while the judge's recent output is lower than the national average, it remains a consistent reflection of their judicial tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Burstein'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 Burstein? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Livonia MI hearing office
The Livonia MI Hearing Office serves claimants throughout the region, managing a high volume of disability cases. With a team of 6 administrative law judges, the office maintains an office-wide approval rate of 57%. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Livonia MI Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Livonia MI Hearing Office uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Burstein is random. Across the office's bench of 6 judges, lifetime approval rates range from 46% to 73%. This variance highlights why understanding the local judicial environment is important for your claim. The guidance for your preparation remains consistent 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.