Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at the same timeframes to ensure accuracy. While you see a 56% approval rate since 2023, the most recent reporting period shows a 44% approval rate, which sits 7 percentage points below the Milwaukee office average of 51%. These figures are derived from a significant volume of decisions, providing a baseline for analysis. 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 Sammer'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 2023, the judge has issued 1,281 decisions. The yearly trend shows a decline in approval rates, moving from 68% in 2023 to 64% in 2024, 57% in 2025, and 41% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. This recent period reflects a departure from the earlier, higher approval rates observed on the record. The latest period's lower rate suggests a shift that may be influenced by changes in case mix or evidence quality.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Sammer'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 Milwaukee hearing office
The Milwaukee hearing office serves you and other claimants across Wisconsin and the surrounding region. It maintains a bench of 13 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 51%. You can expect a standard administrative process where the quality of your medical evidence remains the primary factor in a favorable decision. See the Milwaukee Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Milwaukee
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 13 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, and 7 of them decided cases here in the latest file through July 2026. Approval rates across this bench range from 27% to 56% on their records. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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
Julie Sammer's 44% approval rate in the latest period is 7 percentage points lower than the Milwaukee office average of 51%. Because case assignment is random, an attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing.
Yes, the approval rate has trended from 68% in 2023 to 41% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. Understanding these trends is part of how an attorney can help you prepare for your specific hearing.
No, the Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. You cannot choose your judge, but an attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of any judge assigned to your case.
The 56% approval rate on record since 2023 provides context, but it is not a prediction for your specific hearing. Your outcome depends on the medical evidence and testimony you present, which an attorney can help you organize effectively.
