Back to all offices
Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
LITTLE ROCK
Avg processing
217days
-49 vs national
Processing time
217
7.2 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
3,024
FY receipts
3,799
FY dispositions
3,122
Active judges
8
Video hearings
0%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
42.9%
-14.8 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.22
Growing
Rank
#3
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 8 judges
17%
72%
0%Median 37.9%100%
At LITTLE ROCK, approval rates range from 17.0% (Alexander, Kevin) to 71.7% (Goree, John H) — a 55-pointspread. Assignment is effectively the luck of the draw, so the judge a case lands with can matter more than the office’s average. Plan for the median (37.9%), not the best case.
Judges at LITTLE ROCK (8)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goree, John H | 71.7% | 374 | 268 | 106 | |
| Ferguson, Mark S | 60.3% | 478 | 288 | 190 | |
| Wood, Paul | 41.4% | 452 | 187 | 265 | |
| Hansen, Dennis | 41.2% | 391 | 161 | 230 | |
| Schafer, Mark | 34.6% | 367 | 127 | 240 | |
| Davis, Bradley | 31.4% | 379 | 119 | 260 | |
| Cheffins, Thomas | 23.1% | 454 | 105 | 349 | |
| Alexander, Kevin | 17.0% | 53 | 9 | 44 |