Approval rates
Judge Harbart maintains a lifetime approval rate of 25%, calculated from a docket of 17,949 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 29%, compared to the 48% office average and the 58% national average. These statistics provide a snapshot of historical decision-making patterns at the Hattiesburg Hearing Office. 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 Harbart'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 Harbart has maintained a consistent approach to disability adjudication. His yearly approval trends have fluctuated between 21% and 35%. The most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 29%, which remains aligned with his long-term career average. This stability suggests that the judge relies on a structured assessment of medical evidence, and the recent data reflects a continuation of this established pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Harbart'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 Harbart? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Hattiesburg hearing office
The Hattiesburg Hearing Office serves a significant population of claimants across Mississippi, managing a high volume of SSDI and SSI cases. With an office-wide latest approval rate of 48%, the facility handles complex medical and vocational evidence daily. You can expect a formal environment where the quality of your medical records is the primary driver of your case outcome.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Hattiesburg Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Harbart is essentially random. Across the office's bench of 6 judges, lifetime approval rates range from 25% to 63%. Because each judge operates with their own judicial philosophy, you may encounter different expectations regarding testimony and documentation. Preparation remains essential 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.