Approval rates
The approval rate for Gary A. Freyberg is based on 15,238 lifetime decisions rendered over your 9-year tenure. During the most recent reporting period, you maintained an approval rate of 58%, matching the national average of 58% while trailing the local Madison office average of 69%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases have been resolved in your courtroom.
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 Freyberg'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 your 9 years on the bench, your annual approval rates have fluctuated, moving from a high of 66% in 2018 and 2023 to a low of 49% in 2019. Your recent performance shows a steady trend, with the latest period approval rate of 58% remaining consistent with your lifetime average. This pattern suggests a stable approach to evaluating evidence and testimony.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Freyberg'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 Freyberg? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Madison hearing office
The Madison Hearing Office serves claimants across Wisconsin, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 ALJs. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 69%, reflecting the local environment for disability adjudication. You can expect a formal process focused on the specific medical documentation provided in your file.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Madison Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 49% to 78%. Because you cannot choose your judge, you should focus on the strength of your medical evidence and the clarity of your testimony.
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.