Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at data from the same timeframe. While Nathaniel Plucker has an approval rate of 54% across all decisions on record since 2016, recent performance shows a 60% approval rate in the latest reporting period. This latest-period figure sits 9 percentage points above the St Louis office average of 51%. These figures are derived from a significant volume of cases, providing a stable basis for comparison.
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
Since January 2016, Nathaniel Plucker has issued 2,556 decisions. The yearly trend shows an approval rate of 51% in 2016, 51% in 2017, 56% in 2018, 52% in 2019, 54% in 2020, 53% in 2021, 55% in 2022, 60% in 2023, 59% in 2024, 63% in 2025, and 60% in 2026. The latest period, which includes 154 decisions, shows a 60% approval rate, suggesting that recent decision-making remains consistent with this trend.
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
Nathaniel Plucker's most recent office on record is the St Louis hearing office, with decisions there through July 2026. This office serves the Missouri region and maintains a bench of 20 judges. The office-wide approval rate in the latest reporting period was 51%. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is St Louis
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 20 judges whose most recent office on record is the St Louis office, 13 of whom decided cases in the latest SSA file. Approval rates among this bench range from 30% to 78% on their since-2016 records.
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's latest-period approval rate of 60% is 9 percentage points higher than the St Louis office average of 51%. Because case assignment is random, working with an attorney who understands the local bench can help you prepare your case effectively.
Yes, the approval rate has shown a trend since 2016, moving from 51% in that year to 60% in the most recent reporting period. An attorney can help you evaluate how your specific medical evidence aligns with these trends.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Regardless of your assigned judge, an attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of your hearing.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where an ALJ reviews your medical records and hears testimony. Having an attorney present can help you navigate the questioning and ensure your evidence is presented clearly.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your case's success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence, which an attorney can help you organize and present.
