Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at data from the same period to ensure accuracy. While your judge's since-2016 approval rate is 28%, latest-period data shows a 19% approval rate, which sits 26 points below the Wilkes Barre office average of 45%. These figures rely on a volume of 3,738 decisions on record since 2016.
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 Wolfe'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
Since 2016, your approval rate for Michelle Wolfe has fluctuated, showing a peak of 36% in 2018 before trending toward 19% in the most recent fiscal year-to-date period. With 3,738 total decisions on record, the data reflects a shift from the start of the record where approval rates were higher. This pattern highlights the importance of thorough preparation for your hearing.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Wolfe'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 Wilkes Barre hearing office
Michelle Wolfe's most recent office on record is the Wilkes Barre hearing office, which serves you across Pennsylvania. This office maintains a bench of 13 judges whose most recent records are tied to this location, with an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 45%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Wilkes Barre
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you draw is essentially random. There are 13 judges whose most recent office on record is the Wilkes Barre hearing office, 11 of whom decided cases here in the latest file through July 2026. Approval rates for this bench range from 27% to 57% since 2016.
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
Michelle Wolfe has an approval rate of 28% since 2016, while the bench at the Wilkes Barre hearing office ranges from 27% to 57% for the same period. Because case assignment is random, an attorney can help you prepare a case that meets the specific evidentiary standards of this office.
Yes, the approval rate has shifted over time, starting at 29% in 2016 and reaching 19% in the most recent partial fiscal year. With 3,738 decisions on record, these trends are useful for understanding the judge's history, though they do not predict your specific outcome. An attorney can help you navigate these trends.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency, meaning your assignment is random. An attorney can help you prepare regardless of your assigned judge.
A hearing is a formal proceeding where you, your attorney, and potentially a vocational or medical expert appear before the judge. The judge will review your medical records and ask questions about your ability to perform work-related tasks, making it essential to have professional representation. An attorney can help you prepare for these questions.
The 28% approval rate on record since 2016 is a statistical observation of past performance, not a guarantee of how Michelle Wolfe will rule on your specific claim. A qualified attorney can help you organize your medical evidence to address the specific requirements of your hearing.
