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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Administrative Law Judge
66.0%lifetime approval
vs baselines
This judge66.0%
SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE59.5%
National avg57.7%
Total decisions
215
Fully favorable
107
49.8%
Partially favorable
35
16.3%
Denials
73
34.0%
Total dispositions
324
Dismissals
109
33.6%
Awards
142
3-year trend
Falling
FY2026 decision breakdown
Fully fav.
Partial
Denied
Fully fav. 49.8%Partially fav. 16.3%Denied 34.0%
Approval rate history
FY2010
77.9%598 dec
FY2011
78.2%628 dec
FY2012
76.8%598 dec
FY2013
73.0%534 dec
FY2014
67.0%478 dec
FY2015
70.9%375 dec
FY2016
76.3%341 dec
FY2017
70.2%315 dec
FY2018
68.7%211 dec
FY2019
71.2%271 dec
FY2020
71.3%324 dec
FY2021
60.6%104 dec
FY2022
79.5%44 dec
FY2023
72.0%193 dec
FY2024
67.6%216 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%
- 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%
- Eiler, Kathleen H200 dec54.0%
- 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.