Approval rates
Judge Henderson maintains a lifetime approval rate of 45% based on 4,211 total decisions. Compared to the latest reporting period, the judge's approval rate is 20 percentage points lower than the Dallas North Hearing Office average and 13 points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for the judge's tenure. 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 Henderson'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 4-year tenure, Judge Henderson has demonstrated a steady trend in decision-making. Starting with a 41% approval rate in 2016, the figures rose to 48% by 2019. This trajectory suggests a consistent approach to evaluating disability claims as the judge gained experience on the bench. The recent data reflects a continuation of this stable pattern, indicating that the judge's evidentiary requirements have remained predictable over time.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Henderson'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 Henderson? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Dallas North hearing office
The Dallas North Hearing Office serves a large population of applicants across the region, managing a high volume of disability cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a diverse range of approval outcomes that reflect the complex nature of SSDI adjudication. You should be prepared for a formal hearing process that prioritizes objective medical documentation. You can see the Dallas North Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Dallas North Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 45% to 80%. Because individual judges have different preferences for how evidence is presented, your strategy should remain focused on building a robust medical record. The guidance for your hearing remains consistent 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.