Approval rates
Judge Jordan has presided over 11,765 lifetime decisions during his 5 years on the bench. His recent performance shows an approval rate that exceeds the Indianapolis office average by 5 percentage points and the national average by 8 percentage points. This data provides a statistical baseline for understanding how this judge has historically evaluated disability claims. 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 Jordan'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 his 5-year tenure, Judge Jordan's approval rate has fluctuated, peaking at 70% in 2017 before trending toward 61% in 2020. This pattern reflects a career-long commitment to evaluating complex disability claims across 11,765 total decisions. While the most recent data shows a shift from his earlier years, the rate remains consistently above regional and national benchmarks. These trends suggest that while the judge's approach has evolved, he maintains a distinct decision-making profile.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Jordan'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 Jordan? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Indianapolis hearing office
The Indianapolis Hearing Office serves a significant volume of claimants throughout Indiana, managing a diverse caseload with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 61%, reflecting the regional standards for disability adjudication. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical documentation and work history. You can visit the Indianapolis Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Jordan is essentially random. Within the Indianapolis office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 48% to 72%, highlighting the variance in judicial perspective. Regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing, the fundamental requirement remains the same: presenting robust medical evidence.
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.