Approval rates
Judge Liter has maintained a consistent record over a decade on the bench, with a lifetime approval rate of 61%. In the most recent reporting period, the judge approved 63% of cases, which is 3 percentage points above the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 25,897 lifetime decisions, providing a clear view of historical trends. 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 Liter'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 Liter has seen fluctuations in approval patterns. After a period of higher approvals around 2019, the data shows a shift in 2020 and 2021 before returning to a more moderate pace. The most recent years indicate a return to a steady approval rate of 63%. This pattern suggests that while the judge's approach has evolved, the current decision-making process has stabilized to align closely with historical norms.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Liter'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 Liter? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Tulsa Oho hearing office
The Tulsa OHO serves you throughout Oklahoma, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With a team of 4 ALJs, the office maintains an environment focused on the efficient processing of claims. You can expect a formal hearing process where evidence quality is the primary factor in your outcome. You can see the Tulsa OHO hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. At the Tulsa OHO, the bench features judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 56% to 63%. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the hearing room, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful. You can find more information on the office's general trends on the Tulsa OHO hearing office page.
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.