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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Administrative Law Judge
25.0%lifetime approval
vs baselines
This judge25.0%
SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE59.5%
National avg57.7%
Total decisions
40
Fully favorable
8
20.0%
Partially favorable
2
5.0%
Denials
30
75.0%
Total dispositions
50
Dismissals
10
20.0%
Awards
10
3-year trend
Falling
FY2026 decision breakdown
Fully fav. 20.0%Partially fav. 5.0%Denied 75.0%
Approval rate history
FY2012
60.8%446 dec
FY2013
62.5%509 dec
FY2014
56.8%491 dec
FY2015
53.3%437 dec
FY2016
55.7%377 dec
FY2017
57.6%342 dec
FY2018
50.2%293 dec
FY2019
48.0%379 dec
FY2020
45.5%323 dec
FY2021
54.3%289 dec
FY2022
59.7%258 dec
FY2023
50.0%20 dec
FY2024
28.0%25 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%
- 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%
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.