Approval rates
Judge Fulton maintains a lifetime approval rate of 59% based on 18,159 total decisions. In the most recent reporting period, this rate reached 72%, which compares to an office-wide average of 73% and a national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases have been decided in this courtroom over the last decade. 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 Fulton'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 10-year tenure, Judge Fulton has presided over 18,159 decisions. The yearly trend shows a period of stability followed by a rise in approval rates starting in 2024 and continuing into 2025. While the lifetime average is 59%, recent performance indicates a shift in the volume of favorable outcomes. This recent uptick may reflect changes in case mix or the quality of evidence presented in recent dockets.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Fulton'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 Fulton? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Oklahoma City hearing office
The Oklahoma City Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Oklahoma and is part of a regional network managing a high volume of disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an active docket and a latest-period approval rate of 73%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on medical documentation and vocational testimony.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Oklahoma City Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 43% to 79%. Because the judge you draw is outside of your control, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence remains 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.