Approval rates
To understand the context of your hearing, it is helpful to look at how your judge compares to the broader landscape. Her lifetime approval rate of 47% is based on a volume of 18,230 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her 50% approval rate remains distinct from the 57% average seen across the Livonia MI office and the 58% national average. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting outcomes 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 Dietz'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 10 years on the bench, your judge has navigated a varied caseload across three different hearing offices. Her approval rate has fluctuated, showing a peak of 61% in 2017 before settling into a more moderate range in recent years. While the 2025 data shows a 53% approval rate, the overall trend remains consistent with her established career patterns. These shifts often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the specific medical evidence presented during a given year.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Dietz'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 Dietz? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Livonia MI hearing office
The Livonia MI Hearing Office serves a large population across Michigan, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 57%. You can expect a professional environment focused on the thorough review of your medical and vocational evidence. You can see the Livonia MI Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to this judge is essentially random. Within the Livonia MI office, the bench includes 6 judges whose lifetime approval rates range from 47% to 73%. This variance highlights why understanding the local judicial environment is a standard part of your hearing preparation. You can review the full roster of judges at the Livonia MI 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.