Approval rates
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Judge Meyer's 72% approval rate sits above the 68% office and state averages, and above the 58% national average. These figures are based on 436 decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Meyer'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 January 2017, Judge Meyer has issued 3,006 decisions. The approval rate has varied over this period, moving from 33% in 2017 to 74% in 2026. The most recent 12 months sit above the 61% approval rate recorded since 2017.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Meyer'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.
About the Honolulu hearing office
The Honolulu hearing office serves you across Hawaii and the Pacific region. There are 4 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with 2 of them appearing in SSA's latest file as of July 2026. The office maintained a 68% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Honolulu
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Approval rates vary across the office's bench, with the 2 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file ranging from 69% to 72% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Meyer's 72%. One of them last decided cases in Hawaii. With too few close matches there, the rest come from SSA's San Francisco region.
- 69% Approval rate, last 12 months Mark Yasutomi
- 72% Approval rate, last 12 months Marc A. Yerkey
- 72% Approval rate, last 12 months Shiva Bozarth
- 71% Approval rate, last 12 months David M. Blume
- 73% Approval rate, last 12 months Charles Davis
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Meyer and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Judge Meyer's 72% approval rate is at the top of the 69% to 72% range for the 2 judges who decided cases at the Honolulu office in SSA's latest file. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this bench.
Yes, Judge Meyer's approval rate has shifted over time, with a 61% average across 3,006 decisions since 2017 compared to the 72% rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. Understanding these trends can be part of a comprehensive case strategy, which an attorney can assist with.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses a random workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to ensure impartiality. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of the judge assigned.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. The strength of your medical evidence remains the most important factor in your claim. A qualified attorney can help you gather the necessary evidence to support your case.
