Approval rates
Judge Belford's approval rate is calculated from 21,856 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, he maintained a 61% approval rate, which is 2 percentage points higher than the Lawrence MA office average and 1 percentage point above the national average. These figures offer a baseline for understanding how your courtroom has historically processed disability claims.
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 Belford'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 10-year tenure, Judge Belford has shown a steady approach to disability adjudication. While his annual approval rates have fluctuated between a low of 52% in 2021 and a high of 62% in 2017 and 2022, the data indicates a consistent trend of stability. The most recent period shows an approval rate of 61%, which aligns closely with his long-term historical average. This consistency suggests a predictable pattern in how your evidence is evaluated in his courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Belford'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 Belford? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Lawrence MA hearing office
The Lawrence MA Hearing Office serves a broad population across Massachusetts and the surrounding region. It is staffed by 6 administrative law judges who manage a high volume of disability appeals. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 57%, reflecting the regional trends in disability adjudication. You can visit the Lawrence MA 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 Lawrence MA hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 46% to 73%. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the evidence, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful for your preparation.
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.