Approval rates
When evaluating your chances, it is helpful to look at how a judge's history compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Anderson maintains a lifetime approval rate of 79%, which stands 28 percentage points above the current Omaha Hearing Office average of 51%. These figures are derived from a docket of 3,546 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Anderson's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Over your 4 years on the bench, your approval rate has shown notable shifts. While you maintained high approval levels between 2016 and 2018, the most recent reporting period shows a rate of 65%. This trend suggests that while your historical average is high, recent decisions may reflect a change in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented. Understanding these fluctuations is essential for your preparation, as the latest period may indicate a more rigorous standard for current claims.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Anderson's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Anderson? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Omaha hearing office
The Omaha Hearing Office serves claimants throughout Nebraska, managing a high volume of cases to ensure timely access to benefits. With an office-wide latest approval rate of 51%, this location operates in line with many regional trends. You can expect a professional environment where medical documentation and vocational testimony are the primary drivers of a successful outcome. You can visit the Omaha Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. At the Omaha Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges whose lifetime approval rates range from 30% to 79%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence and testimony. The guidance for your preparation remains consistent regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
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.