Approval rates
To understand your potential hearing outcome, it is helpful to look at how Judge Shenkenberg’s approval rates compare to broader benchmarks. His lifetime approval rate of 52% is measured against the latest office-wide average of 50% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 20,904 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Shenkenberg'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
Over his 10-year tenure, Judge Shenkenberg has maintained a consistent decision-making pattern. While his annual approval rates have fluctuated between 46% and 60% since 2016, the data shows a stable long-term trend. His most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 56%, which is slightly higher than his lifetime average. This recent activity suggests a continuation of his established approach to evaluating disability evidence.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Shenkenberg'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.
Hearing scheduled?
About the Milwaukee hearing office
The Milwaukee Hearing Office serves you across Wisconsin and is a critical hub for regional disability adjudications. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a high volume of cases to ensure timely access to hearings. The office-wide latest approval rate currently sits at 50%. You can find more information about the local administrative environment by visiting the Milwaukee Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Milwaukee Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 27% to 52%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving your disability remain consistent. You can find more information about the local administrative environment by visiting the Milwaukee Hearing Office page.
Your odds change dramatically 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.