Approval rates
Since February 2023, Michael Sauve has maintained a 52% approval rate across 1,264 decisions. This sits within the broader range of 21% to 76% observed among the 18 judges whose most recent office on record is the Dallas Downtown hearing office. These figures reflect past decisions rather than a guarantee of your outcome.
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 Sauve'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 approval pattern for Michael Sauve has shown variation since February 2023. After a 43% approval rate in 2023, the rate rose to 55% in 2024, 52% in 2025, and 53% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. The latest-period approval rate of 53% is 5 percentage points lower than the 58% average seen at the Dallas Downtown hearing office.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Sauve'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 Dallas Downtown hearing office
The Dallas Downtown hearing office is the most recent office on record for 18 judges as of July 2026. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 58%.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Dallas Downtown
The Social Security Administration assigns cases randomly to ensure workload balance. There are 18 judges whose most recent office on record is the Dallas Downtown hearing office, 7 of whom decided cases in the latest SSA file through July 2026. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 21% to 76% on their 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
Michael Sauve has an approval rate of 52% since February 2023. This falls within the 21% to 76% range of approval rates for the 18 judges whose most recent office on record is the Dallas Downtown hearing office. An attorney can help you understand how to prepare your evidence for this specific judge.
The approval rate for Michael Sauve has fluctuated, starting at 43% in 2023 and reaching 53% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. An attorney can help you evaluate how these trends might impact your specific case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm. Because assignment is random, it is important to be prepared for any judge. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of your assigned judge.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your hearing. Your case's success depends primarily on the quality of the medical evidence and your specific work history. An attorney can help you gather the necessary documentation to build the strongest possible case for your hearing.
