Approval rates
Comparing approval rates provides context for how a judge's decisions align with broader office, state, and national trends over the same 12-month window. William G. Reamon's 44% approval rate is based on 427 decisions. These figures are measured against the 60% office rate, 60% state rate, and 58% national rate for the period ending July 31, 2026.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Reamon'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, William G. Reamon has issued 4,566 decisions on record. His yearly approval rates have fluctuated, showing a peak of 52% in 2017 and a low of 40% in 2018 and 2022. The most recent 12 months show a 44% approval rate, which sits near his 45% approval rate on record since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Reamon'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 Grand Rapids hearing office
The Grand Rapids hearing office is the most recent office on record for 10 judges as of July 2026. The office maintained a 60% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. You can expect a standard administrative hearing process at this location.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Grand Rapids
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your judge is assigned randomly. Among the 10 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, 6 judges decided cases here in SSA's latest file. These 6 judges range from 40% to 73% in their approval rates over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Reamon's 44%. All five last decided cases in Michigan.
- 44% Approval rate, last 12 months Mary D. Morrow
- 45% Approval rate, last 12 months Paul W. Jones
- 42% Approval rate, last 12 months Brian Burgtorf
- 42% Approval rate, last 12 months Jacquelyn A. McClinton
- 41% Approval rate, last 12 months Kevin W. Fallis
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Reamon and the three closest side by side →
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
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, William G. Reamon's 44% approval rate sits within the 40% to 73% range of the 6 judges who decided cases at the Grand Rapids office in SSA's latest file. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific judge you are assigned.
William G. Reamon's approval rate has varied over his 4,566 decisions on record since 2016, ranging from a high of 52% in 2017 to 40% in 2018 and 2022. His current 44% rate over the last 12 months is consistent with his long-term average. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where an ALJ reviews the evidence in your file. You will likely testify about your symptoms and limitations, and a vocational expert may provide input on available work. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and organize your medical evidence.
