Approval rates
The approval rate for John P. Mills III is calculated from 2,896 decisions on record since December 2017. While your judge's overall rate is 50%, the latest-period approval rate is 52%, which is 1 percentage point below the Des Moines office average of 53% for that same period.
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 Mills III'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 December 2017, your judge's approval rate has fluctuated annually. After an initial rate of 53% in 2018, the rate reached 44% in 2019, 52% in 2020, 49% in 2021, 52% in 2022, 55% in 2023, 48% in 2024, 50% in 2025, and 52% in 2026. These variations reflect the changing composition of your judge's docket over time.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Mills III'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 Des Moines hearing office
The Des Moines Hearing Office is the most recent office on record for John P. Mills III, with activity through July 2026. This office maintains an office-wide approval rate of 53% for the most recent period.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Des Moines
The Social Security Administration assigns cases randomly. There are 10 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, and 7 of them decided cases here in the latest file through July 2026. Approval rates for this bench range from 37% to 70% on their records since 2016.
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
John P. Mills III has an approval rate of 50% across 2,896 decisions on record since December 2017. This sits within the 37% to 70% range observed among the 10 judges whose most recent office on record is this one. An attorney can help you prepare your case for this specific bench.
Your judge's approval rate has fluctuated, starting at 53% in 2018 and reaching 52% in the most recent fiscal year to date. These variations are common and often reflect changes in the types of cases heard. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might impact your specific claim.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm. Because you cannot control your assignment, working with an attorney is the best way to ensure your evidence is ready for any judge. An attorney can help you prepare your case for this specific bench.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears your testimony. You will likely answer questions about your work history and physical or mental limitations. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and organize your evidence to present the strongest case possible.
