Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Leibowitz maintains a lifetime approval rate of 52%, which sits against the latest Miami OHO office average of 67% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from 22,048 lifetime decisions, a volume that offers a statistically significant look at her decision-making history.
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 Leibowitz'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 a decade on the bench, Judge Leibowitz has seen her approval rates shift. While her early years showed approval rates in the 40% range, recent data indicates an upward trend, with rates reaching 68% in 2024 before settling at 62% in the most recent period. This trajectory reflects a move toward higher approval frequencies compared to her career start.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Leibowitz'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 Leibowitz? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Miami Oho hearing office
The Miami OHO serves a high volume of claimants across South Florida, managing a diverse caseload. As one of the busiest offices in the region, it maintains a latest approval rate of 67%. You should be prepared for rigorous evidence review and detailed questioning. You can see the Miami OHO Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Miami OHO bench, lifetime approval rates for the six presiding judges range from 50% to 78%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent. You can find more information on the Miami OHO 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.