Approval rates
Judge Goree maintains a lifetime approval rate of 48% based on a docket of 24,905 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 63%, which is 7 percentage points higher than the Little Rock office average. These figures provide context for your hearing but do not guarantee a specific outcome, as they reflect past decisions rather than 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 Goree'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Goree has seen his approval rates fluctuate. After a period of lower approval rates between 2018 and 2020, the data shows a clear upward trend starting in 2022. The most recent reporting period reflects this shift, with a 63% approval rate compared to his lifetime average. This recent pattern suggests a change in case outcomes that may be influenced by evolving evidence standards or shifts in the types of cases heard.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Goree'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 Goree? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Little Rock hearing office
The Little Rock Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Arkansas and parts of the surrounding region. This office manages a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The latest office-wide approval rate is 41%, which provides a baseline for the local environment. You can visit the Little Rock 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 Judge Goree is essentially random. Across the Little Rock office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 27% to 52%. Because you cannot choose your judge, you should focus on the strength of your medical evidence, as the preparation required for your hearing remains consistent regardless of the judge 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.