Approval rates
Judge Grit maintains a lifetime approval rate of 52% based on 13,855 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate was 6 percentage points below the Grand Rapids office average and 6 points below the national average. These figures reflect a substantial docket, providing a stable view of her historical decision-making. You can find more information on the Grand Rapids Hearing Office page.
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 Grit'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 8 years on the bench, Judge Grit has seen her approval rates fluctuate. While her early tenure saw rates hovering around 47% to 50%, the most recent data indicates a rise to 68% in 2023. This shift suggests that your recent experience may differ from her earlier, more conservative baseline. You can review the full office history at the Grand Rapids Hearing Office page.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Grit'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 Grit? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Grand Rapids hearing office
The Grand Rapids Hearing Office serves a significant population across Michigan, managing a high volume of disability claims with a team of 6 administrative law judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 58%, which serves as a benchmark for the region. You can expect a standard administrative process focused on the verification of your medical and vocational evidence. You can see the Grand Rapids 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 Judge Grit is essentially random. Across the Grand Rapids bench, the 6 ALJs have lifetime approval rates ranging from 43% to 60%. Because case assignment is outside of your control, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence remains your most effective strategy. You can learn more about the office's operations on the Grand Rapids 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.