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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Administrative Law Judge
54.0%lifetime approval
vs baselines
This judge54.0%
SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE59.5%
National avg57.7%
Total decisions
200
Fully favorable
61
30.5%
Partially favorable
47
23.5%
Denials
92
46.0%
Total dispositions
353
Dismissals
153
43.3%
Awards
108
3-year trend
Stable
FY2026 decision breakdown
Fully fav.
Partial
Denied
Fully fav. 30.5%Partially fav. 23.5%Denied 46.0%
Approval rate history
FY2011
58.2%443 dec
FY2012
47.3%518 dec
FY2013
44.3%501 dec
FY2014
40.5%380 dec
FY2015
47.3%241 dec
FY2016
44.0%257 dec
FY2017
42.1%242 dec
FY2018
40.1%319 dec
FY2019
36.4%239 dec
FY2020
46.5%228 dec
FY2021
46.4%364 dec
FY2022
57.5%188 dec
FY2023
43.1%181 dec
FY2024
55.4%159 dec
Above national Below national National avg
Other ALJs at SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE (24)
- Weathers, Ena220 dec81.8%
- Smiley, Jennifer255 dec78.8%
- Rauenzahn, MaryKay127 dec78.7%
- Hockensmith, Mark201 dec73.1%
- Ohanesian, Nicholas71 dec71.8%
- Alden, Randolph W214 dec66.4%
- Labrum, Robert J215 dec66.0%
- Day, Kelley214 dec65.0%
- Kramzyk, Henry114 dec64.9%
- Walter, Nicholas208 dec61.1%
- Waller, Robert61 dec60.7%
- Valkavich, Helen270 dec60.0%
- Cabotaje, Michael76 dec59.2%
- DiMaggio Wallis, Sandra R240 dec59.2%
- Carr, Michael46 dec58.7%
- Lucas, Brian353 dec58.1%
- Ferguson, Jeffrey A56 dec57.1%
- Nagle, Kim Soo221 dec56.1%
- Fuller, Roxanne90 dec53.3%
- Benton, Amy33 dec51.5%
- Pierce, Katie H85 dec48.2%
- Dillon, Christopher81 dec44.4%
- Beatty, Gregory M.74 dec35.1%
- Wexler, April M40 dec25.0%
Next step
Estimate approval odds
See SSA historical base rates for a claim by state, condition, age, and stage — then plan around the hearing-stage odds.