Approval rates
Judge DE Gruy maintains a lifetime approval rate of 59%, which compares favorably to the current 55% approval rate at the Jackson MS OHO and the 58% national average. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 11,505 lifetime decisions accumulated over a decade of service. This volume provides a stable statistical view of the judge's decision-making history. 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 De Gruy'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 10 years on the bench, Judge DE Gruy has seen fluctuations in her approval patterns, including a notable peak in 2020 followed by a return to more moderate levels. The most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 56%, which remains consistent with her long-term career average. These trends suggest a judge who evaluates cases based on the evolving nature of the evidence you present. The recent data reflects a continuation of this steady pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge De Gruy'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 DE Gruy? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Jackson Ms Oho hearing office
The Jackson MS OHO serves you and other claimants across Mississippi, managing a high volume of disability hearings. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 55%, reflecting the broader regional trends in disability adjudication. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. See the Jackson MS OHO 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. Within the Jackson MS OHO, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 40% to 91%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your own medical documentation is essential. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same 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.