Approval rates
Comparing a judge's lifetime performance to current office and national benchmarks provides a clearer picture of the local hearing environment. While the national average approval rate currently stands at 58%, Judge Kupersmith has maintained a 43% approval rate over her 549 lifetime decisions. These figures are based on a significant volume of cases, offering a stable view of her historical decision-making patterns. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions 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 Kupersmith'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 1 year on the bench, Judge Kupersmith has presided over 549 decisions. Her approval rate of 43% reflects a consistent approach to the evidence presented in her courtroom. Because this data covers her entire tenure, it provides a reliable baseline for understanding how she evaluates your disability claim. The stability of this pattern suggests that her approach to case requirements remains steady over time.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kupersmith'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 Kupersmith? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Miami hearing office
The Miami Hearing Office serves a large population throughout the region, managing a high volume of SSDI cases. With an office-wide latest approval rate of 67%, it remains a busy hub for disability adjudication. You can expect a formal process focused on the specific medical evidence supporting your claim. You can view the full ALJ roster on the Miami Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the assignment process is essentially random. Within the Miami Hearing Office, the bench features a wide range of approval rates, spanning from 31% to 71% across the office's 6 judges. This variance highlights why understanding the local office environment is a critical part of your preparation. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Miami 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.