Judge Ratings for Milwaukee WI Social Security Hearings (Nov 2024)

The Quality of Milwaukee WI Social Security Hearing Judges

Bad news if you have a Social Security Disability Hearing in Milwaukee! Milwaukee WI Social Security Hearing Judges have below average case approval ratings, by just a few percentage points. The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and as you can see from the table below, Milwaukee WI Judges are just a little below average, namely 51%. Could be better! However, the good news is that they are all at 45% or above. It appears that in Milwaukee WI five out of six judges are at or below average, and that’s no good. Read below to see who’s who. Note: we don’t count judges that have less than 50 dispositions in our analysis.

This page is for Milwaukee WI Social Security Hearings, in other words, for people who live in or near Appleton, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Greenfield, Kenosha, Manitowoc, Marinette, Milwaukee (Downtown), Milwaukee (Mitchell), Escanaba, MI, Houghton, MI, Ironwood, MI, Marquette, MI, or Sault St. Marie, MI. 

For other locations in Wisconsin click on:

• Judge Ratings for Madison WI

Judge Ratings for Milwaukee WI Social Security Hearings

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Milwaukee WI Social Security Hearing for Disability or SSI scheduled in the Office of Hearing Operations (OHO)? Do you want to know everything you can about the where, why and how of the hearing itself? You’re not alone, most of our clients desperately want to know every detail of their Disability Hearing so that they have the best chance of winning. You might have a hearing in Milwaukee WI if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or near Appleton, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Greenfield, Kenosha, Manitowoc, Marinette, Milwaukee (Downtown), Milwaukee (Mitchell), Escanaba, MI, Houghton, MI, Ironwood, MI, Marquette, MI, or Sault St. Marie, MI. The Milwaukee WI Social Security Hearing office is on West Wisconsin Street across the highway from the Harley Davidson Museum and two blocks North of Zeidler Union Square, Milwaukee’s oldest Park. You can find the name of your judge on a hearing scheduled notice or call the number for the hearing office (at the bottom of this page). Here are all the judges’ statistics and other information that you need, and if you’re looking for a Disability Lawyer serving Milwaukee WI, don’t hesitate to call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.

Judges’ Statistics

The following table is up to date as of November 2024:

Social Security Disability Hearing Tip: After your 50th birthday, the Social Security Disability rules become easier to meet because Social Security assumes you cannot adjust to a sedentary job due to your age, unless you have education, skills or experience that would allow you to adjust to a sedentary job. A sedentary job is defined as a job in which one sits for at least 6 hours out of an 8 hour workday and is required to lift and carry 5-10 pounds or less. So usually if the Judge decides that you’re limited to sedentary work then you are disabled. If you are 50 or over, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will ask the Vocational Expert (VE) to testify about your education, skills and experience to determine whether you can adjust to a sedentary job. A Disability Lawyer serving Milwaukee WI, like us, can explain in more detail how your age, education and experience impact your case. Contact us for a free consultation or more information.

Case Approval Rates of Milwaukee WI Social Security Hearing Judges

The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and Milwaukee WI Judges are at 51%. Still, many people have really good experiences, because some of the judges and staff genuinely care about other people. And many have very bad experiences in Milwaukee because it still is Social Security, run by the government, which is a complete and utter mess. The judges there are doing the best they can. Do they get decisions wrong sometimes? Of course, they are human. Only those with very low case approval rates might be called biased.

For example, for Indianapolis IN Social Security hearings, Administrative Law Judge Margaret O’Grady has the lowest case approval rate at 45%. That is actually not very low and surely within the bounds of reason. Judge O’Grady could very possibly be just a little skeptical, and if so, that is hard to fault. Reasonable minds can differ sometimes. 

To win with a judge between 40%-55%, like all of the ALJs in this office, if you’re under age 50 you probably have to have a condition that is life-changing and stops you from working at all (not just part time). If you are age 50 or over you’ll probably need to have the preceding life-changing condition or at least a physical condition that prevents the ability to stand and walk for most of the time. In both cases, you may lose if you have sedentary work experience. With a judge who is approving 50% or more, they are probably even awarding some of the young people (age 20s or 30s) that have hearings in front of them. Click here to get more information about the rules, or a Disability Lawyer serving Milwaukee WI, like us, can give you the information you need. Click here for a free case evaluation.

Where Will My Hearing Be Held?

Most hearings will be held by phone, the judge’s clerk will call your phone and place you in a conference call. The whole hearing will be held via conference call, it’s actually very efficient. If you have a lawyer the evidence is submitted electronically before the hearing.

If you don’t have a lawyer you’ll have to bring your evidence to the hearing office or mail it in. You can request an in-person hearing, but we don’t advise it. If you do have a in-person hearing or need to submit evidence, check the SSA hearing office locator website. The Milwaukee WI Social Security Hearing office is at Room 300W, 310 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53203. You’ll go through the metal detectors – don’t bring any weapons, even a pocket knife, or they won’t let you in. Then check in with the staff and wait to be called for your hearing. If you need to reach the Milwaukee WI Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (866) 495-0039.

What should I do if I need help with my hearing?

If you do not have a lawyer yet, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) presiding over your case will almost always give you a postponement to try to get a lawyer. These hearings are very difficult without a lawyer, and the ALJs rarely get the evidence they need unless a lawyer is involved. If you need a Disability Lawyer serving Milwaukee WI, no matter what stage your case is in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.