Approval rates
Judge O'Leary maintains a lifetime approval rate of 63% based on a docket of 24,214 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, the approval rate reached 70%, which is 5 percentage points higher than the national average and 6 points above the state average. This data provides a statistical baseline for understanding how this judge has historically evaluated disability claims. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 O'Leary'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 10-year tenure, Judge O'Leary has demonstrated a steady approach to disability adjudication. While the approval rate saw a brief dip in 2021, the trend has shifted upward in recent years, with 2024 and 2025 showing approval rates of 74% and 73% respectively. This recent pattern suggests a consistent evaluation process that remains well-aligned with the judge's long-term history.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge O'Leary'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 O'Leary? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Mt Pleasant MI hearing office
The MT Pleasant MI Hearing Office serves a broad population across Michigan, managing a high volume of disability claims with a team of 6 administrative law judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 66%, reflecting the regional landscape of disability adjudication. You can expect a formal process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the MT Pleasant MI Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the MT Pleasant MI office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 55% to 63%. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the courtroom, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful.
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.