Approval rates
Judge Butler maintains an 80% lifetime approval rate, which is 22 percentage points above the national average of 58%. At the NHC St Louis office, the latest reporting period shows the judge performing 34 points higher than the office average of 46%. These figures are derived from a docket of 10,580 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of your specific 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 Butler'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 5-year tenure, Judge Butler has shown a consistent approval trend. Starting at 66% in 2016, the rate reached 81% in 2020. This pattern indicates a steady approach to evaluating disability claims across a high volume of cases. The recent period reflects a continuation of this stable pattern, suggesting that evidentiary expectations have remained consistent over time.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Butler'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 Butler? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Nhc St Louis hearing office
The NHC St Louis Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Missouri. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a high volume of cases. The office-wide latest approval rate is 46%, which provides context for the local administrative environment. You can see the NHC St Louis Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is random. Within the NHC St Louis office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary, ranging from 41% to 80%. This variance highlights why focusing on your own medical evidence is the most effective strategy. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the NHC St Louis 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.