Approval rates
Judge Anderson has presided over 13,826 lifetime decisions during his 6-year tenure. His latest approval rate is 67%, which compares favorably to the national average of 58% and the state average of 65%, though it sits 2 percentage points below the current Montgomery office average. This data is derived from a significant volume of cases, providing a look at his historical decision patterns. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
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 his 6 years on the bench, Judge Anderson has shown a consistent approach to disability claims. His approval rate began at 71% in 2016 and shifted to 64% by 2019, before rebounding to 69% in the most recent reporting period. This movement suggests a stable pattern of adjudication that remains well above the national baseline. The recent uptick in approvals may reflect changes in case mix or the quality of evidence presented in more recent hearings.
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 Montgomery hearing office
The Montgomery Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Alabama, managing a high volume of disability cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an active docket and a latest approval rate of 69%. You can expect a professional environment focused on the specific medical and vocational requirements of your claim. You can see the Montgomery Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Anderson is essentially random. Within the Montgomery Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 53% to 78%. Because you cannot choose your judge, the most effective strategy is to focus on the strength of your medical evidence. You can find more information on the Montgomery Hearing Office page.
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.