Approval rates
Judge Henry's approval rate is calculated based on 4,521 lifetime decisions rendered during his 3-year tenure. When comparing his latest reporting period to the Billings Hearing Office average of 64%, he currently tracks 9 percentage points lower. These figures provide a statistical baseline for your hearing preparation.
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 Henry'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 his 3 years on the bench, Judge Henry has shown a shift in his decision-making. While his approval rate remained at 50% through 2023 and 2024, the most recent data from 2025 shows a rise to 64%. This recent uptick in approvals suggests a change in the types of cases heard or the quality of evidence presented. This trend reflects a move toward higher approval outcomes compared to his earlier years on the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Henry'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 Henry? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Billings hearing office
The Billings Hearing Office serves you and other applicants throughout Montana and the surrounding region. It maintains a bench of 6 judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. With an office-wide latest approval rate of 64%, this location handles a diverse range of medical and vocational evidence. You can see the Billings 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 you cannot choose your judge. Across the Billings Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 31% to 69%. Because this variance exists, it is important to understand that your experience may differ depending on the judge assigned to your file. The office's 6 ALJs provide a wide range of outcomes.
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.