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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Administrative Law Judge
56.1%lifetime approval
vs baselines
This judge56.1%
SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE59.5%
National avg57.7%
Total decisions
221
Fully favorable
68
30.8%
Partially favorable
56
25.3%
Denials
97
43.9%
Total dispositions
372
Dismissals
151
40.6%
Awards
124
3-year trend
Rising
FY2026 decision breakdown
Fully fav.
Partial
Denied
Fully fav. 30.8%Partially fav. 25.3%Denied 43.9%
Approval rate history
FY2010
100.0%1 dec
FY2011
43.7%382 dec
FY2012
38.0%453 dec
FY2013
34.0%394 dec
FY2014
35.7%311 dec
FY2015
41.2%374 dec
FY2016
42.8%278 dec
FY2017
53.1%96 dec
FY2018
46.9%371 dec
FY2019
52.7%317 dec
FY2020
41.5%284 dec
FY2021
50.3%308 dec
FY2022
56.4%202 dec
FY2023
61.0%136 dec
FY2024
68.8%122 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%
- 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.