Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance requires looking at both their long-term history and recent activity. Over 10 years on the bench, Judge Tobin has issued 22,200 decisions. While your lifetime rate is 52%, your most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 61%, compared to the Detroit office average of 56% and the national average of 58%. 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 Tobin'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
Judge Tobin's career has seen notable shifts in approval patterns over 10 years on the bench. After a period of lower approval rates between 2018 and 2019, the trend moved upward, reaching 65% in 2024 and 63% in 2025. This recent trajectory suggests a departure from earlier, more conservative decision-making years. These fluctuations often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of medical evidence presented, rather than a fixed personal philosophy.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Tobin'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 with Judge Tobin? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Detroit hearing office
The Detroit Hearing Office serves a large population across Michigan, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges currently on the bench, the office maintains a latest-period approval rate of 56%. You may face significant wait times, making thorough preparation essential before your hearing date. You can visit the Detroit Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot choose your judge. At the Detroit Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 43% to 75%. Because assignment is essentially random, you should focus on building a robust medical record regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.