Approval rates
Judge Mitchell's approval rate is calculated based on a docket of 20,475 lifetime decisions accumulated over his 8-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, he reached a 55% approval rate, which is 3 points lower than the Salt Lake City office average of 54%. Comparing these figures to the national average of 58% provides context for how his courtroom operates relative to broader standards. These figures represent historical data rather than a forecast for your specific 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 Mitchell'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 8 years, Judge Mitchell has navigated a fluctuating caseload, with annual approval rates ranging from a low of 46% in 2020 to a high of 58% in 2018. Following the 2020 dip, his most recent 2025 data indicates a 55% approval rate. These trends reflect the evolving nature of his caseload rather than a fixed judicial philosophy.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Mitchell'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 Mitchell? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Salt Lake City hearing office
The Salt Lake City Hearing Office serves you throughout Utah and surrounding regions, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest-period approval rate of 54%. You can expect a standard administrative process focused on the medical and vocational evidence presented in your file. You can visit the Salt Lake City Hearing Office page for more information on the local roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Salt Lake City office, the bench of 6 judges maintains lifetime approval rates ranging from 28% to 72%. This variance highlights why focusing on your own medical evidence is more important than the specific judge assigned to your hearing.
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.