Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. While the Dallas North office maintains a recent approval rate of 65%, Judge Ebbers' lifetime rate is 39%. These figures are based on a significant volume of 891 lifetime decisions, offering a stable view of historical patterns. These aggregate rates reflect past trends rather than specific outcomes for your 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 Ebbers'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 3 years on the bench, Judge Ebbers has maintained a consistent pattern of decision-making. Following an initial period in 2017, the data shows a stable trend in approval rates through 2019. This consistency across 891 lifetime decisions suggests a predictable approach to evidence evaluation. 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 Ebbers'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 Ebbers? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Dallas North hearing office
The Dallas North hearing office serves you throughout the region, managing a high volume of disability applications. As one of the primary hubs in the area, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 65%. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Dallas North 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 you cannot choose your judge. Within the Dallas North office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 39% to 80%. Because assignment is random, you may be scheduled before any of the office's 6 judges. You can find more information on the office's general procedures on the Dallas North hearing office page.
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.