Approval rates
The approval rate for Judge Leiner is based on 10,354 lifetime decisions rendered during his tenure. When compared to the latest reporting period, his approval rate trails the Middlesboro Hearing Office average by 4 percentage points and the national average by 10 percentage points. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the local hearing environment.
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 Leiner'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 his 5 years on the bench, Judge Leiner has seen fluctuations in his approval patterns. While he reached a high of 55% in 2017, recent years have shown a more moderate trend, with approval rates at 44% in 2019 and 45% in 2020. This shift reflects his approach to the evidence presented in his courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Leiner'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 Leiner? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Middlesboro hearing office
The Middlesboro Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across the region, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office maintains an overall latest approval rate of 52%, reflecting the local standard for disability adjudication. You can expect a formal proceeding where your medical documentation and vocational testimony are prioritized. See the Middlesboro 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 Middlesboro Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 46% to 59%. While these variations exist, the fundamental requirements for proving your disability remain constant across all courtrooms.
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.