Approval rates
Judge Lehr has issued 19,391 lifetime decisions during his 10-year tenure. His lifetime approval rate of 64% provides a baseline for understanding his decision-making history compared to the Kansas City (Missouri) office latest rate of 54% and the national average of 58%. These figures reflect a significant volume of cases, offering a stable view of his judicial 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 Lehr'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 Lehr has seen his approval rate fluctuate. After a period of lower approval rates between 2020 and 2022, the data indicates a return to higher approval levels in 2024 and 2025. This pattern shows that his current approach is more favorable than his historical average. These shifts often reflect changes in the types of evidence presented or evolving case mix requirements.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Lehr'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 Lehr? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Kansas City hearing office
The Kansas City (Missouri) hearing office serves you throughout the region, managing a high volume of disability cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 54%. You should be prepared for a formal hearing process where medical documentation is the primary factor in the outcome. You can visit the Kansas City (Missouri) Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Kansas City (Missouri) hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 28% to 64%. Because case assignment is outside of your control, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective strategy. The guidance for your hearing remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.