Approval rates
Judge Crowell maintains a lifetime approval rate of 44% based on 21,752 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 55%, which is 14 percentage points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical window into past performance at the Eugene Hearing Office. 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 Crowell'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 10-year tenure, Judge Crowell has presided over a significant volume of cases. His approval rate has shown an upward trend in recent years, climbing from 37% in 2020 to 53% in 2025. This recent shift suggests a departure from his earlier career averages. The latest period reflects a continuation of this pattern of increased approvals compared to his historical baseline.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Crowell'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 Crowell? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Eugene hearing office
The Eugene Hearing Office serves you and other claimants throughout Oregon and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of ALJs who manage a high volume of disability hearings. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 64%, which is higher than the national average. You can visit the Eugene 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 Eugene Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 44% to 81%. Because case assignment is outside of your control, focusing on the quality of your medical evidence is the most effective strategy. 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.