Approval rates
When evaluating your chances of success, comparing a judge's historical data to broader benchmarks provides useful context. Judge Bundy maintains a lifetime approval rate of 37%, which currently trails the Shreveport Hearing Office average of 65% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 2,850 lifetime decisions accumulated over two years on the bench. 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 Bundy'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 two-year tenure, Judge Bundy has shown a consistent decision pattern. His approval rate was 39% in 2016 and 34% in 2017. This trend reflects a steady approach to case evaluation throughout his time on the bench. Because these patterns can be influenced by the specific mix of medical evidence and legal arguments presented in each case, the data suggests a continuation of his established judicial approach.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bundy'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 Bundy? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Shreveport hearing office
The Shreveport Hearing Office serves a significant population across Louisiana, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an overall approval rate of 65%. You can expect a rigorous review of your medical documentation and vocational history. You can see the Shreveport 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 a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Shreveport Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 37% to 79%. Because of this variance, it is helpful to understand the specific tendencies of the judge assigned to your case. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Shreveport 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.