Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes. The data shows the performance of Paul W. Jones since 2016 against the broader bench at the Lansing hearing office, alongside the most recent reporting period. With 4,396 decisions on record, the data provides a view of past activity.
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 Jones'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
The approval rate for Paul W. Jones has fluctuated since 2016. After a period of decline in 2019, the trend has seen intermittent recovery, with the most recent fiscal year-to-date period showing a 46% approval rate. This latest figure reflects a shift from the long-term average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Jones'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.
About the Lansing hearing office
The Lansing hearing office serves you and other claimants in Michigan. There are 9 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, and the office-wide approval rate for the latest period was 53%. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Lansing
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your judge is assigned randomly. There are 9 judges whose most recent office on record is the Lansing hearing office. Approval rates among this bench range from 37% to 68% since 2016.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Paul W. Jones has an approval rate of 37% across 4,396 decisions on record since 2016. This is at the lower end of the 37% to 68% range observed among the 9 judges whose most recent office on record is the Lansing hearing office. An attorney can help you prepare your case for this specific bench.
The approval rate for Paul W. Jones has varied over time, starting at 34% in 2016 and reaching 46% in the most recent partial year of 2026. These fluctuations are common in SSDI dockets as case mixes evolve. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific hearing.
No, you cannot request a specific judge for your SSDI hearing. The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases randomly to ensure administrative efficiency. Regardless of your assignment, an attorney can help you prepare your case.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where an ALJ reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You may be questioned by the judge or a vocational expert about your ability to perform work tasks. An attorney can help you prepare for the types of questions you will face at your hearing.
Approval rates are statistical summaries of past decisions and do not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your case's success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence and how well it aligns with SSA disability criteria. An attorney can help you evaluate your evidence to strengthen your claim.
