Approval rates
Judge Miller maintains a lifetime approval rate of 53% based on a docket of 12,463 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, this rate sits 9 percentage points below the Raleigh office average and 13 points below the state average. These figures offer a window into historical decision patterns, though aggregate rates describe past outcomes rather than 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 5-year tenure, Judge Miller has maintained a steady decision pattern. Annual approval rates have fluctuated between 51% and 59%, showing a consistent approach to case evaluation. The most recent data shows a trend toward higher approval rates compared to earlier years on the bench. This pattern reflects the ongoing application of Social Security Administration guidelines to your disability claim.
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 Raleigh hearing office
The Raleigh Hearing Office serves a large population of claimants across North Carolina, managing a high volume of SSDI and SSI cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 62%, which is higher than the national average. You should be prepared for a thorough review of medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Raleigh Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Raleigh Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. The bench here is diverse, with lifetime approval rates for the office's 6 ALJs ranging from 40% to 69%. Because of this variance, understanding the broader office environment is as important as looking at any single judge. You can find more information on the Raleigh 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.