Approval rates
Since 2016, Stuart T. Janney has maintained a 49% approval rate across 4,072 decisions, which sits within the 49% to 57% range of other judges whose most recent office on record is the Evansville Hearing Office. In the most recent reporting period, the judge's approval rate was 51%, compared to an office-wide rate of 55%. These figures reflect historical trends rather than specific outcomes for your case.
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 Janney'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 Stuart T. Janney has fluctuated since 2016, with yearly figures ranging from a low of 41% in 2019 to a high of 53% in 2018 and 2020. The 4,072 decisions on record indicate a pattern that has remained steady despite these annual variations. While the latest period shows a 51% approval rate, this reflects a continuation of the judge's established decision-making history.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Janney'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 Evansville hearing office
The Evansville Hearing Office is the most recent office on record for Stuart T. Janney, with data current through July 2026. This office maintains a bench of 7 judges who handle disability claims. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 55%, providing a benchmark for the local judicial environment.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Evansville
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 7 judges whose most recent office on record is the Evansville Hearing Office, and 6 of them decided cases here in SSA's latest file through July 2026. Approval rates for this bench range from 49% to 57% on their since-2016 records.
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
Stuart T. Janney has an approval rate of 49% since 2016, which falls within the 49% to 57% range seen among the 7 judges whose most recent office on record is Evansville. An attorney can help you prepare your case to meet the specific evidentiary standards of this bench.
The judge's approval rate has fluctuated over the years, starting at 51% in 2016 and reaching 51% in the most recent partial 2026 data. While there have been years of higher and lower activity, the overall pattern remains consistent. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might influence your hearing strategy.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency across hearing offices. Because assignment is random, it is best to focus on building a strong case regardless of who is assigned. An attorney can help you prepare your case for your hearing.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where the judge reviews your medical evidence and may hear testimony from you and vocational or medical experts. Having an attorney can help you organize your medical records and prepare for the specific questions Stuart T. Janney may ask.
The 49% approval rate on record for Stuart T. Janney is a statistical observation of past performance, not a prediction of your specific outcome. Every case is unique, and your success depends primarily on the quality of the medical evidence you provide. An attorney can help you ensure your case is as strong as possible.
