Approval rates
The approval rate for Paul T. Hebda is based on 1,145 decisions recorded between 2016 and 2020. This total provides a statistical look at the judge's history over that specific window. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Judge Hebda is not in SSA's latest disposition file, so there is no 12-month figure. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 25, 2020. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Judge Hebda isn't in SSA's latest disposition file, so the judge comparison tool, which compares active judges over the same 12 months, leaves them out.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Hebda'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
Paul T. Hebda's approval rate of 23% reflects 1,145 decisions on record from 2016 through 2020. The yearly approval rates were 27% in 2016, 23% in 2017, 21% in 2018, 21% in 2019, and 26% in 2020. These figures represent the full scope of the judge's data on record.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hebda'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.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Anchorage
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There is only one judge whose most recent office on record is the Anchorage Hearing Office. For your preparation, the guidance remains consistent 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
There is only one judge on record for the Anchorage Hearing Office, so no comparative range of approval rates is available for this location. You can focus on preparing your own case evidence, which remains the most important factor in your hearing. An attorney can help you prepare your case for the hearing.
Paul T. Hebda's approval rate fluctuated between 21% and 27% during the period from 2016 to 2020. The rate was 27% in 2016 and 26% in 2020, with lower rates in the intervening years. An attorney can help you understand how these past trends might relate to your specific hearing preparations.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare for the hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
The 23% approval rate on record for Paul T. Hebda describes past decisions and is not a prediction for your specific hearing. Your outcome depends primarily on the medical evidence and testimony you present. An attorney can help you ensure your case is as strong as possible before you appear.
