Approval rates
When evaluating your hearing prospects, it is helpful to look at how a judge's approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Hunn has maintained a 67% lifetime approval rate across 20,932 decisions, consistently performing above the Ft Lauderdale office average of 48%. These figures provide a statistical look at past performance compared to the national average of 58%. These 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 Hunn'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 her 10-year tenure, Judge Hunn has shown a distinct trend in her decision-making. While your approval rate remained relatively steady between 62% and 66% during her early years on the bench, the data shows an upward shift starting in 2022. This trend peaked in 2024 before reaching 74% in the most recent period. This pattern reflects a shift in the types of cases heard or evolving evidentiary standards.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hunn'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 Hunn? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Ft Lauderdale hearing office
The Ft Lauderdale hearing office serves a large population across Florida, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 48%, which is lower than the current state average of 59%. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the Ft Lauderdale Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Ft Lauderdale hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 36% to 68%. Because of this variance, the judge you draw can influence the procedural flow of your hearing. You should prepare for your hearing with the understanding that your assigned judge's history is only one factor in your case.
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.