Back to search
Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Administrative Law Judge
78.8%lifetime approval
vs baselines
This judge78.8%
SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE59.5%
National avg57.7%
Total decisions
255
Fully favorable
119
46.7%
Partially favorable
82
32.2%
Denials
54
21.2%
Total dispositions
363
Dismissals
108
29.8%
Awards
201
3-year trend
Rising
FY2026 decision breakdown
Fully fav.
Partial
Denied
Fully fav. 46.7%Partially fav. 32.2%Denied 21.2%
Approval rate history
FY2016
0.0%0 dec
FY2017
62.3%236 dec
FY2018
57.1%520 dec
FY2019
52.3%520 dec
FY2020
54.9%459 dec
FY2021
40.9%350 dec
FY2022
51.0%347 dec
FY2023
52.3%258 dec
FY2024
67.4%270 dec
Above national Below national National avg
Other ALJs at SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE (24)
- Weathers, Ena220 dec81.8%
- 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%
- 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.