Approval rates
Judge Barter has served on the bench for 9 years, presiding over 18,351 lifetime decisions. In the latest reporting period, his approval rate was 17 points below the Mobile Hearing Office average and 2 points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for your hearing in Mobile. 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 Barter'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 9-year tenure, Judge Barter has seen fluctuations in his annual approval rates, ranging from a low of 48% in 2019 to a high of 63% in 2018 and 2022. The data shows a pattern of variance rather than a single directional trend, with the most recent 2024 data showing a 52% approval rate. This suggests that his decision-making remains responsive to the specific evidence and case mix presented in each hearing.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Barter'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 Barter? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Mobile hearing office
The Mobile Hearing Office serves a significant population across Alabama, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges and an office-wide latest approval rate of 73%, it remains a busy hub for regional SSDI activity. If you are appearing here, be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can view the Mobile Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Barter is essentially random. Across the Mobile Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 54% to 76%. This variance highlights why you should focus on the strength of your medical evidence regardless of which judge is assigned. You can find more information on the Mobile 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.