Approval rates
Lamar W. Davis maintains a 62% approval rate based on 546 decisions on record since 2016. This figure sits within the range of 38% to 85% observed among the 10 judges whose most recent office on record is the Portland ME office.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Davis. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 29, 2017. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Davis'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
Your judge's approval rate shifted during the period of January 2016 through September 2017. In 2016, the approval rate was 64% across 413 decisions, followed by 60% across 255 decisions in 2017. These patterns illustrate how outcomes fluctuated during that window on record.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Davis'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.
About the Portland ME hearing office
Lamar W. Davis's most recent SSA record (September 2017) is at the Portland ME hearing office. This office serves you and other claimants throughout Maine and the surrounding region. The bench consists of 10 judges whose most recent office on record is this location.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Portland ME
The Social Security Administration assigns cases randomly. There are 10 judges whose most recent office on record is the Portland ME office, with approval rates ranging from 38% to 85% on their since-2016 records. Of these, 4 judges decided cases in the most recent SSA file from July 2026.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Judge Davis has a 62% approval rate on record since 2016. This falls within the 38% to 85% range of the 10 judges whose most recent office on record is the Portland ME office. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this bench.
The approval rate for Judge Davis was 64% in 2016 and 60% in 2017. These figures represent activity during that specific window on record. An attorney can help you understand how your evidence fits into these historical patterns.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases randomly. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical evidence and testimony. You may be questioned by the judge or a vocational expert about your ability to perform work. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and organize your medical records for the hearing.
The 62% approval rate for Judge Davis reflects past decisions and is not a prediction for your specific hearing. Every case is unique, and the quality of your medical evidence is the most important factor in your outcome. An attorney can help you build a strong case to present to the judge.
