Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge Duann maintains a lifetime approval rate of 67%, which stands in contrast to the 59% state average and the 58% national average. With a career spanning 10 years and 25,871 decisions, this data reflects a significant volume of case history. These rates describe past decisions rather than predicting your specific outcome.
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 Duann'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 his 10-year tenure, Judge Duann has shown a consistent trend in his adjudication patterns. While his approval rate fluctuated in his early years, the data shows a steady upward trajectory since 2019, culminating in a 74% approval rate during the most recent period. This recent performance indicates a slight increase compared to his long-term lifetime average. These patterns suggest a stable approach to evidence evaluation, though each case remains unique.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Duann'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 Duann? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Norwalk hearing office
The Norwalk Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Connecticut and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of 6 administrative law judges who manage a high volume of disability claims annually. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 66%, reflecting the regional trends in disability adjudication.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Norwalk Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 50% to 78%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focusing on the quality of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare.
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.