Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge LaChance currently holds a 70% approval rate in the latest reporting period, which is 5 points higher than the national average of 58%. With over a decade of experience and 16,564 lifetime decisions, the data offers a stable look at past trends. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 LaChance'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 10 years on the bench, the decision pattern for Judge LaChance has shown notable fluctuations. After an initial period of higher approvals, the rate saw a decline in 2019 and 2022 before trending upward again in recent years. The latest reporting period reflects a continuation of this recent upward momentum. These shifts often correlate with changes in case volume or the complexity of evidence presented, rather than a fundamental change in judicial philosophy.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge LaChance'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 LaChance? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Manchester hearing office
The Manchester Hearing Office serves you throughout New Hampshire and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of 6 administrative law judges who manage a high volume of disability appeals. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 59%, which aligns with state-wide trends. You can visit the Manchester 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 a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Manchester Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 46% to 64%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your own medical record is the most effective strategy. 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.