Approval rates
When evaluating your path to benefits, comparing a judge's history to broader trends provides useful context. Judge Anzalone maintains an approval rate that outpaces the New Orleans Hearing Office average of 53% and the national average of 58%. With 16,237 lifetime decisions rendered during an 8-year tenure, the data reflects a stable history of adjudication. 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 Anzalone'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 an 8-year career, Judge Anzalone has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability claims. The yearly trend shows a peak in approval rates during 2020 and 2021, followed by a stabilization in recent years. This pattern suggests a judge who has maintained a steady methodology throughout their tenure on the bench. The latest reporting period shows the judge continuing to approve cases at a rate above regional and national benchmarks, reflecting a sustained pattern of decision-making.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Anzalone'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 Anzalone? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the New Orleans hearing office
The New Orleans (Louisiana) Hearing Office serves a diverse population across the region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office operates under the broader Social Security Administration guidelines for case processing. You can expect a formal hearing environment where medical documentation and vocational testimony are prioritized. You can see the New Orleans (Louisiana) Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your specific assignment is essentially random. Within the New Orleans Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary widely, ranging from 36% to 84%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence remains the most effective way to prepare for your hearing.
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.