Approval rates
In the most recent reporting period, Judge Leise maintained an approval rate of 75%, which is 5 percentage points above the Seattle Hearing Office average and 5 points above the national average. These figures are drawn from a docket of 17,430 lifetime decisions, providing a look at historical patterns. Comparing these rates to regional and national benchmarks helps contextualize the local environment. 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 Leise'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 10-year tenure, Judge Leise has demonstrated an upward trend in approval rates. Starting at 52% in 2016, the rate has climbed to 75% in 2025. This shift suggests a consistent pattern of decision-making that has evolved over the last decade. The recent data indicates that the judge is currently approving cases at a higher frequency than in the earlier years of their career.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Leise'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 Leise? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Seattle hearing office
The Seattle Hearing Office serves a broad population across Washington, managing a high volume of disability claims with a team of 6 administrative law judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 58%, reflecting the complex nature of the cases processed in this region. You should be prepared for rigorous documentation requirements and detailed medical evidence reviews. You can see the Seattle 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Seattle Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 27% to 66%. Because of this variance, understanding the office-wide environment is as important as looking at any single judge. You can view the full office roster on the Seattle 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.