Approval rates
Judge Gallagher Dilley maintains an approval rate that outperforms the Seattle Hearing Office average by 8 percentage points. Her lifetime data is drawn from 9,968 decisions, providing a statistical baseline for her courtroom. When compared to the national average of 58%, her approval rate remains higher. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting your individual hearing outcome.
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 Gallagher Dilley'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 5 years on the bench, Judge Gallagher Dilley has shown a steady approval trend. Starting at 58% in 2016, her approval rate reached 70% by 2018 and remained at 70% in 2020. This trajectory suggests a consistent approach to evaluating evidence and medical documentation. Her decision-making process has remained stable throughout her tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Gallagher Dilley'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 Gallagher Dilley? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Seattle hearing office
The Seattle Hearing Office serves a broad population across Washington, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 58%. If you are appearing here, you should be prepared for rigorous evidence review and clear documentation of your limitations. You can view the Seattle 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 Seattle Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 27% to 66%. Because you cannot choose your judge, understanding the office-wide environment is as important as reviewing an individual judge's history. You can find more information on the Seattle 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.