Approval rates
Judge Dunn has presided over 16,652 lifetime decisions during his 10-year tenure. His latest approval rate of 59% compares favorably to the 57% office average and the 58% national average. These metrics offer a snapshot of his historical decision-making, though they do not predict the outcome of any individual hearing. These figures reflect past trends in the docket.
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 Dunn'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 the past decade, Judge Dunn has maintained a relatively steady approval pattern, with yearly rates fluctuating between 53% and 64%. While his approval rate dipped to 53% in 2022, recent data shows a return to his long-term average of 59% in 2024 and 60% in 2025. This consistency suggests a stable approach to evaluating disability claims. The recent data reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, indicating that his evidentiary requirements remain consistent with his career-long standards.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Dunn'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 Dunn? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Flint hearing office
The Flint Hearing Office serves a significant population in Michigan, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 57%. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can see the Flint Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Flint Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 43% to 60%. Because each judge has different preferences for how evidence is presented, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful. The office bench maintains a diverse range of historical approval outcomes.
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.