Approval rates
Judge Lough maintains a lifetime approval rate of 56% across 3,812 lifetime decisions. This performance is measured against the latest office-wide approval rate of 54% and the national average of 58%. While these figures provide a snapshot of historical trends, they do not account for the unique medical evidence or vocational factors present in your specific claim. 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 Lough'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
Since joining the bench in 2023, Judge Lough has overseen a steady volume of cases. Her approval rate showed an initial period of adjustment in 2023 at 43%, followed by a rise to 56% in 2024 and 57% in 2025. This trend indicates a stabilization in her decision-making patterns as she has gained experience. The latest reporting period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, suggesting a consistent approach to evaluating your disability claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Lough'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 Lough? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Minneapolis hearing office
The Minneapolis Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Minnesota and the surrounding region. It is staffed by 6 Administrative Law Judges who manage a high volume of disability hearings annually. The office currently maintains a latest-period approval rate of 54%, reflecting the local administrative environment. You can see the Minneapolis 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Minneapolis Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 47% to 67%. This variance highlights that the specific judge assigned to your case is a significant variable in the hearing process. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Minneapolis 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.