Approval rates
Judge Imsland has issued 21,171 decisions over a 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, the judge recorded a 53% approval rate, compared to the 54% average for the St Louis office and the 58% national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for the judge's activity, though they do not account for the unique medical evidence in your specific file. 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 Imsland'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 the past decade, your judge's approval rate has remained relatively steady. While the rate was 46% in 2021, recent data shows a return to higher approval levels, reaching 55% in 2025. This trend suggests the judge's decision-making process is responsive to the evidence presented in current dockets. The latest period reflects a continuation of this stable, long-term pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Imsland'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 Imsland? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the St Louis hearing office
The St Louis Hearing Office serves a large population across Missouri, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate that aligns closely with state trends. You can expect a professional environment focused on the thorough review of medical records and vocational testimony. You can visit the St Louis 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 you cannot request a specific judge for your hearing. Across the St Louis office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 41% to 78%. This variation highlights why your individual medical documentation is the most important factor in your case. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same 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.