Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes to ensure accuracy. Your judge's 35% approval rate on record since 2016 sits within a range of 24% to 60% among the 9 judges whose most recent office on record is Topeka KS. In the most recent reporting period, your judge's 37% approval rate compares to an office-wide rate of 44%, a state rate of 49%, and a national rate of 58%. These figures provide context for the office's recent activity.
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 Johnson'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 Scott Johnson has fluctuated across the 3,844 decisions on record since 2016. The yearly trend shows periods of variance, with approval rates ranging from a low of 28% in 2018 to a high of 41% in 2023 and 2025. The 2026 fiscal year-to-date figure of 37% remains consistent with this historical pattern. These shifts often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Johnson'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 Topeka KS hearing office
The most recent office on record for Scott Johnson is the Topeka KS hearing office. This office features a bench of 9 judges with varying approval rates, and the office-wide approval rate in the latest period was 44%. You can expect a formal hearing process where the quality of medical evidence is the primary factor in the outcome. You can see the Topeka KS Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Topeka KS
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 9 judges whose most recent office on record is Topeka KS, with 4 of them having decided cases in the latest SSA file through July 2026. Approval rates across this bench range from 24% to 60% on their records since 2016. Your preparation remains the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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
Scott Johnson has a 35% approval rate on record since 2016. This falls within the 24% to 60% range observed among the 9 judges whose most recent office on record is Topeka KS. An attorney can help you prepare your case to meet the specific requirements of this hearing office.
The approval rate for Scott Johnson has seen yearly fluctuations since 2016, ranging from 28% to 41%. The most recent fiscal year-to-date rate of 37% is consistent with his historical record. If you are concerned about how these trends might impact your hearing, an attorney can help you review your case strategy.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Because you cannot choose your judge, working with an attorney can help you prepare for the hearing regardless of who is assigned.
An approval rate is a probability cloud based on past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your case outcome depends primarily on the medical evidence and documentation you provide. An attorney can help you ensure your evidence is complete and effectively presented.
