Approval rates
Judge Elkins maintains a lifetime approval rate of 75%, which stands in contrast to the latest national average of 58% and the Hattiesburg office average of 48%. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 19,040 lifetime decisions. By comparing these metrics, you can better understand the environment of your upcoming hearing. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual case.
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 Elkins'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 years on the bench, Judge Elkins has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability adjudication. While his approval rate fluctuated throughout his tenure, the most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 86%. This recent trend reflects a continuation of a high-approval pattern compared to his earlier years. These shifts often correlate with changes in case complexity or the quality of evidence presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Elkins'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 Elkins? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Hattiesburg hearing office
The Hattiesburg Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Mississippi and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of 6 administrative law judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 48%, which serves as a baseline for the region. You can see the Hattiesburg 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 a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Hattiesburg Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 26% to 75%. Because of this variance, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence regardless of which judge is assigned. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Hattiesburg 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.