Approval rates
Your judge's approval rate is higher than regional and national benchmarks. In the latest reporting period, this judge’s rate exceeded the Mobile Hearing Office average by 3 percentage points, the state average by 11 percentage points, and the national average of 58% by 18 percentage points. These figures are derived from a docket of 1,812 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting your individual outcome.
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 McClain-Leazure'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 two-year tenure, your judge has demonstrated a high approval frequency. While the lifetime rate stands at 76%, the yearly trend shows 76% in 2016 and 67% in 2017. This variation may reflect changes in the complexity of cases assigned or the specific nature of the evidence presented. This pattern suggests a judge who evaluates each claim based on the unique medical documentation you provide.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge McClain-Leazure'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 McClain-Leazure? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Mobile hearing office
The Mobile Hearing Office serves a significant population across Alabama, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an environment where approval rates vary between individual ALJs. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Mobile 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. The Mobile Hearing Office bench is diverse, with lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges ranging from 54% to 76%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focus on the strength of your medical evidence. You can find more information on the Mobile 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.