Approval rates
Judge Engel maintains a lifetime approval rate of 80% based on 24,987 decisions, a significant volume that provides a clear view of his judicial history. In the most recent reporting period, his 84% approval rate stands 16 points above the Tulsa office average and 22 points above the national average. These figures reflect his long-term approach to evaluating disability claims, though aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predictions for your individual 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 Engel'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 Engel has shown a consistent trend of high approval rates. Starting at 73% in 2016, his annual approval rate climbed steadily, peaking at 91% in 2023 before stabilizing at 84% in the most recent periods. This trajectory suggests a judge who has refined his evaluation process over a large volume of cases. The current data reflects a continuation of this stable, high-approval pattern, which remains well above the national baseline.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Engel'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 Engel? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Tulsa hearing office
The Tulsa hearing office serves a wide population across Oklahoma, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office handles diverse case types. The office-wide approval rate currently sits at 64%, reflecting the broader environment in which Judge Engel operates. You can see the Tulsa Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Tulsa hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 38% to 81%. Because each judge has different preferences for how evidence is presented, your preparation should be tailored to the specific requirements of the hearing room.
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.