Approval rates
Judge Dodson has presided over 15,629 lifetime decisions during a 6-year tenure. In the latest reporting period, the judge's approval rate outperformed the Norfolk Hearing Office average by 3 percentage points and the state average by 2 points. These comparisons help contextualize the judge's decision-making relative to regional peers. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Dodson'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 six years on the bench, Judge Dodson has maintained a stable approval pattern. Starting with a 56% approval rate in 2016, the figures fluctuated slightly before settling into a consistent range between 52% and 54% in recent years. This steadiness suggests a predictable approach to evaluating your disability claim. The latest period reflects a continuation of this long-term pattern, indicating that the judge's evidentiary requirements have remained consistent throughout their tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Dodson'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 Dodson? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Norfolk hearing office
The Norfolk Hearing Office serves a broad population across Virginia, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an environment where caseloads are distributed to ensure efficiency. You can expect a formal process focused on the documentation of your impairments under 20 CFR Part 404. You can visit the Norfolk Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Dodson is essentially random. Within the Norfolk office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 49% to 55%. Because case assignment is outside of your control, focusing on the quality of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare. The guidance for your hearing remains 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.