Approval rates
Judge Denney has presided over 20,654 lifetime decisions during her 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate reached 63%, compared to the Denver Hearing Office average of 62% and the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the courtroom environment.
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 Denney'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
The approval trend for Judge Denney has fluctuated over the last decade, moving from 55% in 2016 to 68% in 2025. The overall pattern indicates a judge who evaluates the evidence presented in each unique case. This pattern reflects a career-long commitment to evaluating complex disability claims.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Denney'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 Denney? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Denver hearing office
The Denver Hearing Office serves a broad population across Colorado, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an environment focused on the rigorous review of SSDI and SSI applications. You can expect a professional setting where medical documentation is the primary driver of the decision-making process. You can visit the Denver (Colorado) Hearing Office page for more information.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Across the Denver Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 45% to 62%. Because you cannot choose your judge, you should focus on the strength of your medical evidence.
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.