Approval rates
Judge Mangrum maintains a 66% lifetime approval rate, a figure derived from a docket of 19,054 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, their approval rate reached 79%, which stands 8 percentage points above the Seattle Hearing Office average and 8 points above the national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for your hearing preparation, though they do not guarantee an outcome for your case.
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 Mangrum'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, Judge Mangrum has shown a dynamic decision pattern. After a period of lower approval rates between 2019 and 2022, the data shows an upward trend in recent years, reaching a 78% approval rate in 2025. This shift suggests a departure from the mid-career average, potentially reflecting changes in case complexity or evidence standards. Understanding this trajectory helps you focus on the specific medical evidence required to meet the current standards of this bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Mangrum'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 Mangrum? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Seattle hearing office
The Seattle Hearing Office serves a large population across Washington, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an environment where case mix and evidence quality are primary drivers of outcomes. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical records. You can see the Seattle 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 Judge Mangrum is random. Across the Seattle Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 27% to 66%. This variance highlights why your case preparation must be tailored to the specific evidentiary standards of the office rather than relying on general assumptions. You can find more information on the Seattle 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.