Approval rates
Kelly Humphrey's 42% approval rate on record since 2017 sits within the broader range of 29% to 83% seen among the 11 judges whose most recent office on record is the Omaha Hearing Office. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the local bench.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Humphrey. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 30, 2022. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Humphrey'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 approval rate for Kelly Humphrey has shown variation across the 1,435 decisions on record since 2017. Following an approval rate of 41% in 2018, the figures shifted to 37% in 2019, before rising to 45% in 2020 and 47% in 2021, then settling at 40% in 2022. This trend indicates a fluctuating pattern rather than a static one.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Humphrey'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 Omaha hearing office
Kelly Humphrey's most recent office on record is the Omaha Hearing Office, with decisions there through September 2022. This office serves you if you are in Nebraska and the surrounding region. With a bench of 11 judges whose most recent record is at this location, you can expect a standard administrative hearing process.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Omaha
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 11 judges whose most recent office on record is the Omaha Hearing Office, and their approval rates range from 29% to 83%.
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
Kelly Humphrey has a 42% approval rate on record since 2017. This falls within the 29% to 83% range of the 11 judges whose most recent office on record is the Omaha Hearing Office. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this bench.
The approval rate for Kelly Humphrey has fluctuated over time, moving from 41% in 2018 to a high of 47% in 2021, before reaching 40% in 2022. These variations are common in SSDI dockets. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Because assignment is random, it is important to be prepared for any judge. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing.
The 42% approval rate on record for Kelly Humphrey represents past performance, not a prediction for your specific hearing. Your outcome depends primarily on the medical evidence and testimony you present. An attorney can help you build a strong case regardless of which judge is assigned.
