Who decides cases at this office
The panel of 11 judges in Denver shows a moderate spread in allowance rates, ranging from 44% to 82% with a median of 62%. Because each judge weighs evidence differently, your case outcome can vary based on which judge is assigned to your hearing. This variation underscores why your file must be robust enough to stand on its own merits regardless of who sits on the bench.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sasha Kurbegov | 75% | 6,468 | |
| 2 | Marsha Stroup | 74% | 1,799 | |
| 3 | Terrence Hugar | 62% | 26,178 | |
| 4 | Jennifer A. Simmons | 60% | 7,715 | |
| 5 | Jennifer B. Millington | 59% | 27,483 | |
| 6 | Jon L. Lawritson | 59% | 8,102 | |
| 7 | Cynthia K. Hale | 58% | 17,022 | |
| 8 | James D. Wascher | 58% | 13,638 | |
| 9 | Lynn Ginsberg | 56% | 21,714 | |
| 10 | Mark R. Dawson | 53% | 14,576 | |
| 11 | Debra J. Denney | 53% | 26,286 | |
| 12 | Jeffrey N. Holappa | 53% | 20,688 | |
| 13 | Thomas S. Inman | 52% | 10,609 | |
| 14 | Erin Justice | 50% | 28,181 | |
| 15 | Shane McGovern | 49% | 24,175 | |
| 16 | Patricia E. Hartman | 47% | 4,201 | |
| 17 | Lowell Fortune | 46% | 4,027 | |
| 18 | Rebecca LaRiccia | 45% | 27,465 | |
| 19 | Michael G. Heitz | 43% | 603 | |
| 20 | Kathleen Laub | 42% | 18,924 | |
| 21 | Jamie Mendelson | 31% | 7,431 |
Heading to an ALJ hearing? Get a free case review to prepare for your hearing.
Free Benefits ReviewHow long you'll wait
At Denver, 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
With an 8-month wait, you have a clear runway to strengthen your file before your hearing date. You must provide updated medical records, a detailed medication list including side effects, and a log of your daily activities to demonstrate why you cannot sustain work. The hearing itself typically lasts 45 to 60 minutes, where an Administrative Law Judge will preside and a vocational expert will often testify regarding available jobs. You and your attorney have the right to question the expert, which is often the most critical part of the proceeding. Ensure all evidence is submitted well before the deadline, as last-minute additions are restricted. Your final decision will arrive by mail in the weeks following the hearing.
When a panel's allowance rates span 38 points, your file must be strong enough that no judge can dismiss it due to gaps in documentation. While the 8-month wait in Denver is steady, it is also a period where you might lose momentum. You can use this time to pressure-test your medical evidence against the standards of the Social Security Disability Insurance program, ensuring you are ready for the vocational expert's testimony.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Denver, 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.