Approval rates
When evaluating a judge's history, we look at the lifetime approval rate compared to current office and national benchmarks. Judge Cameron Shattil has issued 2,166 decisions during her tenure. Her current rate is 33 percentage points higher than the Omaha Hearing Office average and 26 points above the national average. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of 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 Cameron Shattil'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 her 1 year on the bench, Judge Cameron Shattil has established a consistent pattern of approvals. With 2,166 total decisions, her 84% allowance rate remains a defining characteristic of her judicial record. This high rate of approval suggests a focus on thorough medical documentation and vocational evidence. The data reflects a stable approach to case adjudication, which is essential for you to consider when structuring your testimony and evidence.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Cameron Shattil'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 Shattil? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Omaha hearing office
The Omaha Hearing Office serves you and other claimants throughout Nebraska and the surrounding region. It is staffed by 6 administrative law judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 51%, which is lower than the national benchmark. You can visit the Omaha 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 essentially random. Across the Omaha bench, lifetime approval rates vary, ranging from 30% to 84%. Because you cannot choose your judge, you should focus on the strength of your medical evidence and your work history. 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.