Approval rates
Comparing a judge's record to their peers provides context for your hearing process. At the New Orleans hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 38% to 85%. With 3,143 decisions on record, the data for Thomas G. Henderson offers a stable view of his historical approach to SSDI claims.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Henderson. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 27, 2024. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
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
The decision record for Thomas G. Henderson spans from 2016 to 2024. After starting with a 39% approval rate in 2016, his annual figures fluctuated, reaching 43% in 2017, 41% in 2018, 43% in 2019, 47% in 2020, 47% in 2021, 45% in 2022, 47% in 2023, and 38% in 2024.
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.
About the New Orleans hearing office
The New Orleans hearing office serves you throughout the region, managing a high volume of disability appeals. This location maintains a bench of 17 judges on record. You can expect a formal process focused on the medical and vocational evidence presented in your file.
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. There are 17 judges on record at this office since 2016. Because approval rates across this bench range from 38% to 85%, understanding the broader office environment is useful.
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
Thomas G. Henderson has a lifetime approval rate of 43%. This sits within the broader office-wide range of 38% to 85% for all judges on record at the New Orleans hearing office. An attorney can help you understand how to present your evidence effectively for this specific judge.
Yes, the annual approval rate for Thomas G. Henderson has fluctuated since 2016. While he reached 47% in 2020, 2021, and 2023, the most recent data from 2024 shows an approval rate of 38%. A qualified attorney can help you evaluate how these trends might impact your case strategy.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration uses a random, workload-based algorithm to assign cases to ALJs. Since you cannot control the assignment, focusing on the quality of your medical evidence is the best way to prepare. An attorney can help you prepare for this judge's specific bench.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where the judge reviews your medical records and may hear testimony from you and vocational experts. The goal is to determine if your impairment meets the Social Security Administration criteria for disability. Having an attorney can help you navigate the questioning and ensure your case is presented clearly.
A judge's lifetime approval rate is a statistical observation of past performance, not a guarantee of how they will rule on your specific claim. Factors like the strength of your medical documentation and your work history are often more important than the judge's historical average. An attorney can help you build a case tailored to the requirements of the hearing office.