Approval rates
Judge Bush has presided over 19,480 lifetime decisions during a 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, the approval rate was 47%, compared to the Lawrence MA office average of 57% and the national average of 58%. These figures represent a significant volume of cases, providing a stable statistical foundation for your review. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting individual hearing outcomes.
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 Bush'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, the approval rate for Judge Bush has fluctuated, ranging from a low of 36% in 2022 to a high of 49% in 2020 and 2024. The data shows a period of decline followed by a recent stabilization near the lifetime average. This pattern reflects an evolving approach that has settled into a steady, long-term decision-making trend.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bush'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 Bush? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Lawrence MA hearing office
The Lawrence MA Hearing Office serves a significant population in Massachusetts and operates with a bench of 6 judges. The office maintains a latest approval rate of 57%, reflecting the regional caseload and administrative environment. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Lawrence MA 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Lawrence MA office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 46% to 73%. Because case assignment is outside of your control, focusing on the quality of your medical evidence is 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.