Approval rates
Comparing Judge Miller’s performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. While the judge maintains a 66% lifetime approval rate, recent data shows a 75% approval rate in the latest reporting period. This is 8 percentage points above the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 21,660 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 Miller'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 Miller’s approval patterns have shown a notable evolution. Starting with a 55% approval rate in 2016, the trend has generally moved upward, reaching 76% in 2025. While there were fluctuations in the intervening years, the recent data suggests a period of higher allowance rates compared to the early career average. This shift may reflect changes in the types of cases heard or evolving evidentiary standards.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Miller'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 Miller? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Brooklyn hearing office
The Brooklyn Hearing Office serves a high volume of claimants across the region, managing a diverse caseload with a dedicated team of ALJs. The office currently maintains an office-wide approval rate of 71%, reflecting the local standard for disability adjudications. You can expect a formal process centered on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Brooklyn Hearing Office page for more information on the local roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Brooklyn Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 66% to 78%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence remains the most effective way to prepare. The guidance for your hearing remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.