Approval rates
Comparing Nathaniel Plucker to the broader St Louis bench provides context for your upcoming hearing. The office-wide lifetime approval-rate range spans from 30% to 78%, placing this judge's 54% record within the established local norm. In the most recent reporting period, Nathaniel Plucker maintained a 60% approval rate, which sits 9 points above the current office-wide average of 51%. 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 Plucker'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
The record for Nathaniel Plucker spans 2,556 decisions since 2016, providing a stable view of his decision-making pattern. While the approval rate fluctuated in the early years of this data window, the trend has shown a steady increase in recent periods, moving from 51% in 2016 to 60% in the most recent reporting cycle. This latest period reflects a continuation of a pattern where approval rates have trended upward compared to the earlier years of his recorded docket.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Plucker'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 St Louis hearing office
The St Louis hearing office serves you throughout Missouri and the surrounding region. With 24 judges on record, this office manages a high volume of cases with an office-wide latest approval rate of 51%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the St Louis Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 24 judges on record at this office since 2016, 17 of whom reported in SSA's latest period. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 30% to 78% over their respective careers. You can view the St Louis Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
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
Nathaniel Plucker has a lifetime approval rate of 54% across 2,556 decisions. This sits within the office-wide lifetime range of 30% to 78% for the 24 judges on record at this office. An attorney can help you understand how to present your evidence to meet the specific standards of this hearing office.
Yes, the data shows a shift in approval patterns since 2016. While the rate was 51% in 2016, it has trended upward to 60% in the most recent reporting period. An attorney can help you analyze how these trends might relate to the current evidence requirements for your case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases randomly to ensure efficiency and fairness. Regardless of your assignment, an attorney can help you prepare a strong case for your hearing.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where an ALJ reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You will likely answer questions about your work history and physical or mental limitations. An attorney can help you prepare for these questions and ensure your medical evidence is clearly presented.
A judge's approval rate is a reflection of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence and how well you document your disability. An attorney can help you evaluate the strengths of your case and prepare for the hearing.