Approval rates
Judge Miller maintains a lifetime approval rate of 67% based on 23,690 decisions rendered during a 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, the judge recorded a 69% approval rate, which stands 9 percentage points higher than the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical look at how claims have been processed in this courtroom over the last decade. 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 the past 10 years, Judge Miller's approval rate has shown a steady trajectory, moving from 57% in 2016 to 69% in 2025. The data indicates a peak in approval activity around 2019 and 2020, followed by a period of stabilization. The latest reporting period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, suggesting that the judge's approach to evaluating evidence remains consistent with their long-term tenure.
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 scheduled?
About the Fort Wayne hearing office
The Fort Wayne Hearing Office serves you across Northern Indiana, managing a significant caseload with a bench of 4 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 60%, reflecting the broader regional trends in disability adjudication. You can expect a standard administrative process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the Fort Wayne Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is effectively random. Within the Fort Wayne Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary, ranging from 45% to 67%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving your disability remain constant across all courtrooms. You can find more information on the Fort Wayne Hearing Office page.
Your odds change dramatically 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.