Approval rates
Judge Buell maintains a lifetime approval rate of 51% based on 24,248 total decisions. This figure is compared against the latest Omaha office average of 51% and the national average of 58%. These statistics are drawn from a decade of judicial activity, offering a look at historical outcomes. 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 Buell'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 years on the bench, Judge Buell has seen his approval rates fluctuate. His decision patterns have remained consistent, with the most recent reporting period showing a 60% approval rate. This recent uptick suggests a shift in his current decision-making, though it remains anchored to his long-term historical average. The pattern reflects a judge who weighs the specific evidence presented in each individual case.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Buell'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 Buell? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Omaha hearing office
The Omaha Hearing Office serves you throughout Nebraska and the surrounding region. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a high volume of disability claims, maintaining an office-wide latest approval rate of 51%. You can expect a professional environment focused on the specific medical and vocational evidence of your claim. See the Omaha Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Buell is essentially random. Across the Omaha office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 30% to 78%. This variance highlights why the specific judge assigned to your case is only one factor in your overall outcome. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.