Approval rates
Judge Hanan's approval rate is calculated based on 24,142 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, the judge maintained a 75% approval rate, which sits 16 percentage points above the St Louis office average and 12 points above the national average. These figures reflect a consistent history of adjudication within the Social Security Administration. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Hanan'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 decade on the bench, Judge Hanan has maintained a steady approval trend, with yearly rates generally fluctuating between 64% and 75%. The most recent data shows a 75% approval rate, representing a slight uptick compared to the long-term average. This pattern suggests a stable approach to evaluating evidence and medical documentation. The recent period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern in case outcomes.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hanan'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 Hanan? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the St Louis hearing office
The St Louis Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Missouri, managing a high volume of disability cases. With six judges currently on the bench, the office operates under the broader SSA regional framework to process applications efficiently. You can expect a standard hearing environment where the focus remains on the medical and vocational evidence you present. You can visit the St Louis (Missouri) 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. Across the St Louis office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 41% to 78%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence and testimony. The guidance for your preparation remains the same 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.