Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Bowman-Davis currently holds a 54% lifetime approval rate, which compares to the NHC Albuquerque office average of 50% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from 8,022 lifetime decisions, providing a statistically significant view of past trends. 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 Bowman-Davis'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 a 4-year tenure, the approval rate for Judge Bowman-Davis has shown a downward trend, moving from 69% in 2016 to 37% in 2019. This pattern reflects a total of 8,022 lifetime decisions across multiple hearing offices. While the latest reporting period indicates a departure from earlier, higher approval levels, such shifts often correlate with changes in case complexity or evidence standards. This trend suggests a more rigorous evaluation process in recent years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bowman-Davis'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 Bowman-Davis? A free benefit check tells you if you qualify.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Nhc Albuquerque hearing office
The NHC Albuquerque Hearing Office serves you and other claimants throughout New Mexico and surrounding regions. This office manages a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges and a current office-wide approval rate of 50%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the NHC Albuquerque 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 you cannot choose your judge. At the NHC Albuquerque office, the bench includes 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 41% to 61%. Because case assignment is essentially random, you should focus on the strength of your medical evidence rather than the specific judge assigned. You can find more information on the office's roster on the NHC Albuquerque 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.