Approval rates
Judge Walters maintains a lifetime approval rate of 59% across 6,532 lifetime decisions. This performance is 7 percentage points higher than the recent average at the Lansing Hearing Office and 1 point above the national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the judge's history. 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 Walters'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 a 3-year tenure, the judge's approval rate showed stability before a shift in the most recent reporting period. While the judge approved 60% of cases in 2016 and 62% in 2017, the rate adjusted to 49% in 2018. This pattern reflects the judge's evolving approach to the evidence presented in disability claims. The recent period suggests a shift in case mix or evidentiary requirements that may influence future outcomes.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Walters'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.
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Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Lansing hearing office
The Lansing Hearing Office serves a broad population across Michigan, managing a high volume of SSDI claims. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 52%. If you are appearing here, you should be prepared for a formal administrative process focused on medical documentation and vocational evidence. You can visit the Lansing Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Lansing Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 36% to 66%. This variance highlights why understanding the specific requirements of your hearing is vital. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.