Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to look at how Judge Burgess compares to broader benchmarks. His 74% lifetime approval rate stands in contrast to the 58% national average and the current 53% approval rate at the New Orleans Hearing Office. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 10,771 lifetime decisions, providing a statistical baseline. 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 Burgess'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 6 years on the bench, Judge Burgess has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability adjudication. While his approval rate saw minor fluctuations between 2016 and 2019, the data shows an upward trend in recent years, reaching 84% in 2021. This shift may reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented. The latest period indicates a continuation of this pattern, suggesting a stable judicial philosophy.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Burgess'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 Burgess? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the New Orleans hearing office
The New Orleans Hearing Office serves a diverse population across Louisiana, managing a high volume of SSDI claims. With 6 judges currently on the bench, the office maintains an average approval rate of 53%. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical records and vocational history. You can visit the New Orleans Hearing Office page for more information on the local roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Burgess is essentially random. Within the New Orleans Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 36% to 74%. Because every judge operates with different preferences for evidence, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical documentation. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent 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.