Approval rates
When evaluating your potential outcome, it is helpful to look at how Judge McKee's approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. While the MT Pleasant MI office maintains a recent approval rate of 66%, Judge McKee's performance is distinct from the state average of 57% and the national average of 58%. These figures are based on a docket of 1,260 lifetime decisions. 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 McKee'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
Judge McKee has served on the bench for 2 years, during which time the approval rate shifted from 42% in 2016 to 30% in 2017. This trend reflects the volume of cases handled during the early stages of the judge's tenure. While these numbers provide a historical view of the courtroom, they do not account for the unique medical evidence or vocational factors present in your specific claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge McKee'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 McKee? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Mt Pleasant MI hearing office
The MT Pleasant MI hearing office serves residents across the region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a recent approval rate of 66%, which provides context for the local administrative environment. You can expect a formal process focused on the documentation of your medical impairments and work capacity. You can see the MT Pleasant MI Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge McKee is essentially random. Across the MT Pleasant MI hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 31% to 63%. Because every judge manages their courtroom differently, understanding the office-wide environment is a standard part of your case preparation.
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.