Approval rates
When evaluating your hearing, it is helpful to compare a judge's performance against their peers. Judges whose most recent office on record is the Dallas Downtown hearing office show an approval rate range of 21% to 76% since 2016. In the most recent reporting period, Evelyn Maiben's approval rate was 60%, which sits 2 percentage points above the office average of 58%. These figures are based on a docket of 3,971 decisions on record.
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 Maiben'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
Since January 2016, Evelyn Maiben has issued 3,971 decisions. Her approval rate has shown an upward trend in recent years, rising from 38% in 2018 to 66% in 2024 and 2025. The most recent fiscal year-to-date data for 2026 shows a 60% approval rate. This recent pattern reflects a shift toward higher approval outcomes compared to the period starting in 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Maiben'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.
About the Dallas Downtown hearing office
Evelyn Maiben's most recent office on record is the Dallas Downtown hearing office, with decisions there through July 2026. This office serves you and other claimants across the region and maintains an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 58%.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Dallas Downtown
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 18 judges whose most recent office on record is the Dallas Downtown hearing office, with 7 of them having decided cases in the latest SSA file. Approval rates among this bench vary significantly, ranging from 21% to 76% since 2016.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Evelyn Maiben's latest-period approval rate of 60% is 2 percentage points higher than the Dallas Downtown office average of 58%. While this provides context, your specific outcome depends on the evidence in your file. An attorney can help you prepare your case for this specific bench.
Yes, Evelyn Maiben's approval rate has trended upward over the last decade. After an approval rate of 38% in 2018, the rate increased to 66% in 2024 and 2025. A qualified attorney can help you understand how these patterns might relate to your specific claim.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
An approval rate is a probability cloud based on past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. Evelyn Maiben has approved 51% of cases since 2016, but your success depends on your medical evidence and testimony. An attorney can help you build the strongest possible case for your hearing.
