Who decides cases at this office
The panel of 6 judges at this office is consistent, with allowance rates clustering between 46% and 56%. Because the judges operate within this narrow band, you can expect a similar standard of review regardless of which judge is assigned to your case. This stability means your outcome is driven by the strength of your evidence.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick J. Toal | 56% | 3,773 | |
| 2 | Patrick Berigan | 54% | 15,504 | |
| 3 | Nicholas J. Schwalbach | 53% | 7,414 | |
| 4 | William Shenkenberg | 52% | 25,005 | |
| 5 | Arman Rouf | 49% | 23,593 | |
| 6 | Brent C. Bedwell | 47% | 28,855 | |
| 7 | Margaret J. O'Grady | 43% | 24,429 | |
| 8 | Dean Syrjanen | 42% | 17,422 | |
| 9 | Timothy J. Malloy | 38% | 15,359 | |
| 10 | Robert L. Bartelt Jr. | 34% | 1,039 | |
| 11 | Jeffry Gauthier | 28% | 9,047 | |
| 12 | Wayne L. Ritter | 27% | 15,682 |
Hearing scheduled?
How long you'll wait
At Milwaukee, the average wait from hearing request to written decision is 9 months— versus a national average of 8 months. Here's how it's tracked month by month over the past 16 months.
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.
Going to your hearing
The 9-month wait at the Milwaukee office provides an opportunity to refine your medical record before you appear before an ALJ. Your goal is to submit updated records that highlight your ongoing limitations. During your hearing, a vocational expert will likely testify regarding your ability to perform specific jobs. You should arrive with a detailed log of your daily activities and a list of medication side effects to address any testimony regarding your ability to work. The judge will weigh this evidence against your medical history to determine your eligibility. The initial-decision allowance rate in Wisconsin is 35.5%, which is a different stage of the process than your upcoming hearing.
With a 9-month wait between your appeal and your hearing, you have time to ensure your file is complete. You can use this period to bridge the gap between your medical records and the specific criteria the ALJ uses to evaluate disability. By anticipating the questions a vocational expert will raise, you can prepare for the hearing process.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Milwaukee, your case originated at one of the SSA field offices below — the local intake counter where you (or a representative) filed the initial application. Field offices don't decide hearings, but they hold your file, issue benefit-payment notices, and field the day-to-day questions during your wait.