Minneapolis Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Minnesota · SSA Region 05
Approval Rate
56.6%
vs 57.6% national
Wait Time
8.5 months
vs 8.4 months national
Processing Time
267 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
3,342
awaiting hearing
ALJs
12
active judges
Minneapolis ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for 12 months ending July 2026. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beth Contorer | 100% | N/A | 100% | 1 | 1 |
| John Rabaut | 100% | N/A | 100% | 1 | 1 |
| Richard Thrasher | 89.3% | 10.7% | 85.7% | 28 | 44 |
| Jeffrey W. Hart | 62.9% | 37.1% | 57.4% | 404 | 466 |
| Sarah Lough | 56.8% | 43.2% | 45.3% | 375 | 428 |
| Corey Ayling | 55.3% | 44.7% | 43.3% | 443 | 509 |
| Peter Kimball | 54.3% | 45.7% | 42.1% | 416 | 478 |
| Micah Pharris | 47.8% | 52.2% | 41.5% | 207 | 258 |
| Joshua Klasic | 46.7% | 53.3% | 39.3% | 443 | 500 |
| Nicholas Grey | 46.2% | 53.8% | 39.1% | 266 | 317 |
| Julie Sammer | 43.8% | 56.2% | 37.4% | 203 | 241 |
| Thomas Sanzi | 21.2% | 78.8% | 21.2% | 99 | 122 |
About the Minneapolis Social Security Hearing Office
The Minneapolis hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Minnesota. This office is in SSA Region 05 and currently has 12 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. With 12 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 56.6%, which is near the national average of 57.6%. 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 21.2% to 100%, a 79-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 8.5 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 267 days. There are currently 3,342 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 279 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 54.4%. 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 Minneapolis Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Minneapolis, 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 8.5 months and 267 days average processing time, claimants at Minneapolis can expect a total timeline of roughly 17 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Minneapolis have collectively issued 2,886 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 241 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 443 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Minneapolis Hearing Office FAQ
What is the approval rate at Minneapolis?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 21.2% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 54.4%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Which judges hear cases at Minneapolis?
How long is the wait time at Minneapolis?
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.
How is office data calculated?
What is the fully favorable rate at Minneapolis?
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