Detroit Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Michigan · SSA Region 05
Approval Rate
58.5%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
8 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
272 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,931
awaiting hearing
ALJs
11
active judges
Detroit ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joy Turner | 75.7% | 24.3% | 71% | 407 | 457 |
| John J Rabaut | 66.7% | 33.3% | 66.7% | 9 | 11 |
| Elias Xenos | 65.7% | 34.3% | 50.1% | 373 | 416 |
| Therese Tobin | 61.2% | 38.8% | 52.1% | 399 | 466 |
| Jennifer Overstreet | 60.1% | 39.9% | 50.9% | 346 | 387 |
| Carol Guyton | 57.1% | 42.9% | 33.8% | 77 | 81 |
| Crystal L White Simmons | 52.7% | 47.3% | 43.7% | 279 | 330 |
| Jacquelyn A McClinton | 48.3% | 51.7% | 38.9% | 329 | 378 |
| Colleen M Mamelka | 45.3% | 54.7% | 39% | 172 | 202 |
| Lauren G Burstein | 41% | 59% | 26.2% | 61 | 70 |
| Mary D. Morrow | 32.3% | 67.7% | 22.6% | 371 | 417 |
About the Detroit Social Security Hearing Office
The Detroit hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Michigan. This office is in SSA Region 05 and currently has 11 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. With 11 ALJs, this is one of the larger hearing offices in the system, handling a substantial volume of disability cases each fiscal year.
The office's average approval rate is 58.5%, which is near the national average of 58.3%. This rate represents the aggregate of all judge decisions at the office and includes both fully favorable and partially favorable outcomes. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 32.3% to 75.7%, a 43-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 8 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 272 days. There are currently 1,931 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 176 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 45.0%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.
How to Interpret Detroit Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Detroit, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.
With an average wait time of 8 months and 272 days average processing time, claimants at Detroit can expect a total timeline of roughly 17 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Detroit have collectively issued 2,823 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 257 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 9 to 407 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Detroit Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at Detroit?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 32.3% to 75.7%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 45.0%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Detroit?
How long do disability cases take at Detroit?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 17 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.