Approval rates
Judge Bowen has presided over 23,560 lifetime decisions during a 10-year tenure on the bench. In the most recent reporting period, the judge recorded an approval rate of 61%, compared to the 55% average at the Fort Worth Hearing Office and the 58% national average. These statistics provide a broad view of the judge's history, though they are not predictive of your individual outcome.
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 Bowen'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 the past decade, your judge's approval rate has shifted from 48% in 2016 to 62% in 2025. This trajectory shows a period of fluctuation followed by a notable increase in approvals over the last few years. The latest reporting period reflects a continuation of this upward trend compared to the earlier years of the judge's career.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bowen'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 Bowen? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Fort Worth hearing office
The Fort Worth Hearing Office serves a large population in Texas and manages a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an environment where caseloads are distributed to ensure timely processing. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on the specific medical evidence supporting your disability claim.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your judge is typically selected at random. Across the Fort Worth bench, lifetime approval rates for the 6 ALJs range from 30% to 51%. Because assignment is outside of your control, focusing on the quality of your medical documentation 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.