Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes to ensure the data is meaningful. While Hall has a 56% approval rate over the full record since 2016, recent performance shows a 68% approval rate in the latest reporting period. This latest-period figure sits 15 percentage points above the Louisville office average of 53%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 2,629 decisions, providing a stable basis for analysis. 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 Hall'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
The approval trend for Hall has shifted significantly since 2016. After a period of lower approval rates between 2018 and 2022, where rates hovered near 49% to 51%, the data shows a marked increase in recent years. Specifically, 2024 and 2025 saw approval rates reach 71%, indicating a clear upward trend in favorable outcomes. The latest period continues this pattern with a 68% approval rate, suggesting that recent case outcomes are consistently higher than the long-term average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hall'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.
About the Louisville hearing office
Hall's most recent office on record is the Louisville hearing office, which serves you across Kentucky. This office is part of a regional network that handles a high volume of disability claims, with a bench of 13 judges on record. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 53%, providing a benchmark for local outcomes. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the Louisville Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Louisville
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge assigned to your hearing is essentially random. Within the Louisville office, there are 13 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with 7 of them having decided cases in the latest file through July 2026. Approval rates among this bench range from 43% to 75% on their records since 2016. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
In the latest reporting period, Hall's 68% approval rate is 15 percentage points higher than the Louisville office average of 53%. While this suggests a higher rate of favorable outcomes recently, every case is unique. An attorney can help you understand how to present your medical evidence to best suit this judge's bench.
Yes, the data shows a clear trend. After a steady period with rates near 49% in 2022, Hall's approval rate rose to 71% in 2024 and 2025. This recent shift indicates that Hall has been approving a higher percentage of cases in the latest reporting periods compared to the period starting in 2016. An attorney can help you prepare your case for this judge.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration uses a random workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to ALJs. Since you cannot control your judge assignment, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare for your hearing. An attorney can help you prepare your case for this judge.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions, not a guarantee of your specific outcome. With 2,629 decisions on record since 2016, Hall's data provides a stable pattern, but your individual result depends on the quality of your medical records and testimony. An attorney can help you navigate these variables.
