Approval rates
Judge Lang maintains a 52% lifetime approval rate, calculated from 22,128 lifetime decisions over a decade of service. In the most recent reporting period, his 54% approval rate aligns closely with the Memphis office average but remains 6 points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases are processed in this office.
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 Lang'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, Judge Lang has maintained a consistent approach to disability adjudication. While your annual approval rates have fluctuated between 46% and 55%, the data shows a steady pattern of decision-making. The most recent reporting period reflects a continuation of this stable pattern, suggesting that your approach to evaluating evidence remains predictable.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Lang'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 Lang? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Memphis hearing office
The Memphis Hearing Office serves you across Tennessee and surrounding regions, managing a high volume of disability cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide approval rate that reflects the complex nature of the claims processed here. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Memphis Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Lang is essentially random. Across the Memphis office, lifetime approval rates for the bench range from 45% to 73%. Because this variance exists, it is important to understand that the judge you draw can influence the procedural flow of your hearing.
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.