Approval rates
When evaluating your chances at a disability hearing, it is helpful to look at how a judge's history compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Farmer has maintained a 55% lifetime approval rate based on 5,475 lifetime decisions. This performance is currently aligned with the Phoenix North office average, though it sits 6 percentage points below the state average and 3 percentage points below the national average. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not 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 Farmer'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 a 4-year tenure, Judge Farmer has seen fluctuations in approval activity. The data shows a high of 65% in 2016, followed by a shift to 49% in 2017 and 56% in 2018, before settling at 40% in 2019. These variations often reflect changes in the complexity of cases assigned or shifts in the medical evidence presented during those specific periods. The recent trend indicates a move toward a more conservative decision pattern compared to your judge's early years on the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Farmer'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 Farmer? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Phoenix North hearing office
The Phoenix North Hearing Office serves a large population of claimants across Arizona, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 55%, reflecting the regional standards for disability adjudication. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical documentation and work history. You can see the Phoenix North Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Phoenix North office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 28% to 60%. Because each judge has a unique approach to evaluating evidence, understanding the local bench is part of your preparation process. The guidance for your hearing remains consistent 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.