Approval rates
The 59% approval rate for Michael D. Tucevich reflects all decisions on record since 2016, which can be measured against the 32% to 78% range of other judges whose most recent office on record is the Phoenix hearing office. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how different judges have approached their dockets. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Tucevich. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 28, 2018. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Tucevich'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 rate for Michael D. Tucevich shows a downward trend across the 773 decisions on record since January 2016. You can see an approval rate of 66% in 2016, which shifted to 56% in 2017 and 54% in 2018. This pattern reflects a steady decline over the period of the judge's recorded activity at the Phoenix office. Such shifts in approval rates often occur due to changes in the types of cases presented or evolving standards for medical evidence.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Tucevich'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 Phoenix hearing office
Michael D. Tucevich's most recent office on record is the Phoenix hearing office, which serves you if you are in Arizona. With 12 judges whose most recent office on record is this location, the bench represents a wide spectrum of decision patterns. You can see the Phoenix hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Phoenix
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 12 judges whose most recent office on record is the Phoenix hearing office, and their approval rates since 2016 range from 32% to 78%. This variance highlights why understanding the broader bench is useful for you. 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
Michael D. Tucevich has an approval rate of 59% based on 773 decisions since 2016. This sits within the 32% to 78% range of other judges whose most recent office on record is the Phoenix hearing office. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this bench.
The approval rate for Michael D. Tucevich has shown a downward trend, moving from 66% in 2016 to 54% in 2018. While these figures reflect past performance, they do not guarantee a specific outcome for your hearing. An attorney can help you evaluate how your case evidence aligns with these patterns.
No, you cannot request a specific judge for your SSDI hearing. The Social Security Administration uses an automated workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to judges randomly. Because you cannot choose your judge, working with an attorney to prepare a strong case is the best way to ensure you are ready for any outcome.
An approval rate is a probability cloud based on past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. While Michael D. Tucevich approved 59% of cases since 2016, your individual result depends on the medical evidence and testimony you present. An attorney can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your claim before you appear.
