Who decides cases at this office
The panel of 6 judges at this office shows a moderate spread in outcomes, with individual allowance rates ranging from 54% to 76%. Because cases are assigned randomly, you cannot choose your judge, and each one weighs medical evidence differently. This variation means your file must be strong enough to stand on its own merits regardless of who presides over your session.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ronald L. Burton | 81% | 5,785 | |
| 2 | Harold D. Davis | 66% | 28,832 | |
| 3 | Glenn A. Neel | 63% | 24,103 | |
| 4 | Bill Jones | 55% | 31,099 | |
| 5 | Camille Monahan | 54% | 3,812 | |
| 6 | Elisabeth McGee | 53% | 25,396 | |
| 7 | Edward M. Starr | 49% | 24,970 | |
| 8 | Clifford Shilling | 46% | 12,313 |
Heading to an ALJ hearing? See if you qualify for representation before your hearing.
Free Benefits ReviewHow long you'll wait
At Fort Smith, the average wait from hearing request to written decision is 8 months— versus a national average of 8 months. Here's how it's tracked month by month over the past 16 months.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Going to your hearing
Your hearing will involve an ALJ reviewing your file and hearing testimony. Because this office has a moderate spread in judge allowance rates, your file must be complete before the evidence-submission deadline. Bring an updated list of medications, a log of your daily activities, and any new medical records generated since your initial denial. A vocational expert will typically testify about whether jobs exist that you can perform given your specific health constraints. You have the right to question this expert to clarify how your limitations prevent you from working. A final decision will arrive by mail after the hearing concludes.
With a 59% allowance rate, many claimants in Fort Smith succeed, but cases often fail when they lack a clear link between medical evidence and work capacity. Using the 8-month wait to ensure your file is complete and that your testimony anticipates the questions a vocational expert will ask is the most effective way to improve your chances of a favorable outcome.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Fort Smith, your case originated at one of the SSA field offices below — the local intake counter where you (or a representative) filed the initial application. Field offices don't decide hearings, but they hold your file, issue benefit-payment notices, and field the day-to-day questions during your wait.