Approval rates
Judge Michaelsen has maintained a 36% lifetime approval rate over his 7-year tenure. When looking at the most recent reporting period, his approval rate shows a variance of 22 points below the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 15,075 lifetime decisions, providing a stable look at his historical decision-making. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Michaelsen'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 7 years on the bench, your judge's approval rate has fluctuated, showing a high of 42% in 2016 and a low of 27% in 2018. The data indicates a varied pattern of decision-making rather than a single directional trend. Recent years show the rate stabilizing in the high 30s, which reflects a continuation of his established approach to case review. This pattern suggests that the judge's focus remains consistent with his long-term historical averages.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Michaelsen'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 Michaelsen? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Portland OR hearing office
The Portland OR Hearing Office serves you across Oregon, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 68%, which is higher than the national average. You can expect a standard administrative hearing process focused on your medical and vocational evidence. You can see the Portland OR Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Portland OR hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 36% to 76%. Because of this variance, understanding the office-wide environment is as important as knowing your specific judge's history. You can find more information on the office-wide bench on the 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.