Approval rates
Judge William K. Mueller maintains a lifetime approval rate of 68%, which stands higher than the current national average of 58%. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate outperformed the San Diego Hearing Office average by 11 percentage points. These figures are derived from a docket of 18,507 lifetime decisions, providing a statistical baseline for your review. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of 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 Mueller'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 his 9 years on the bench, Judge William K. Mueller has demonstrated a generally high approval trend, peaking at 76% in 2021. While his approval rate shifted to 62% in 2022, he returned to a 72% approval rate in 2023 before a more recent adjustment to 52% in 2024. This fluctuation suggests that while his long-term average is consistent, your case preparation should account for recent shifts in decision trends.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Mueller'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 Mueller? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the San Diego hearing office
The San Diego Hearing Office serves a large population across Southern California, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 57%. You can expect a professional environment where your evidence quality and medical documentation are the primary drivers of your success. You can visit the San Diego Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to Judge William K. Mueller is random. Across the San Diego Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 38% to 68%. This variation underscores why your legal representation is critical regardless of which judge is 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.