Biestek v. Berryhill
- Decided
- April 1, 2019
- Docket
- 17-1184
- Status
- Published
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
Cited 12,652 timesNo negative treatment found in this library
What later courts said
- holding that substantial evidence is evidence a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion and that the threshold “is not high” — Beard v. Commissioner of Social Security (2023)
- holding that substantial evidence is evidence a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion and that the threshold “is not high” — (untitled) (2026)
- holding that a Vocational Expert’s refusal to provide the data relied upon does not preclude her testimony from counting as “substantial evidence” — (untitled) (2026)
Each line is a later court’s own words about this case, not a summary. Read the opinion before relying on it.
How the opinion begins
Justice KAGAN delivered the opinion of the Court.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides benefits to individuals who cannot obtain work because of a physical or mental disability. To determine whether *1152an applicant is entitled to benefits, the agency may hold an informal hearing examining (among other things) the kind and number of jobs available for someone with the applicant's disability and other characteristics. The agency's factual findings on that score are "conclusive" in judicial review of the benefits decision so long as they are supported by "substantial evidence." 42 U.S.C. § 405(g).
This case arises from the SSA's reliance on an expert's testimony about the availability of certain jobs in the economy. The expert largely based her opinion on private market-survey data. The question presented is whether her refusal to provide that data upon the applicant's request categorically precludes her testimony from counting as "substantial evidence." We hold it does not.
Statutes cited
Cite this
Biestek v. Berryhill, 587 U.S. 97 (2019)Read the full opinion
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