Approval rates
Comparing a judge's history against broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Latham's lifetime approval rate of 37% is measured against the latest office-wide rate of 69% and the national average of 58%. These statistics are derived from a docket of 20,199 lifetime decisions, offering a view of historical patterns. 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 Latham'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 a 10-year tenure, your judge's approval patterns have shifted, moving from lower rates in the 2016-2019 period to higher marks in the early 2020s. The most recent data shows a 50% approval rate, which marks a change from the 2024 dip. This variance highlights how case mix and evidentiary standards can influence outcomes year over year. The current trend reflects a return to higher approval levels compared to the judge's long-term average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Latham'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 Latham? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Montgomery hearing office
The Montgomery Hearing Office serves you throughout Alabama, managing a volume of disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an active docket and a latest-period approval rate of 69%. You should expect a professional environment focused on the specific medical documentation supporting your claim. You can visit the Montgomery Hearing Office page for more information on the local roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Montgomery Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 37% to 78%. While you cannot choose your judge, understanding the office-wide environment can help you focus on the strength of your medical evidence. The guidance for your case remains consistent 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.