Approval rates
Judge McPhail's lifetime approval rate of 44% is calculated from 20,603 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 64%, compared to the San Antonio office average of 52% and the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases have been decided in his courtroom over the last decade. 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 McPhail'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 his 10-year tenure, your judge's approval rate has shown an upward trend. After starting with approval rates in the high 30% to low 40% range, his decision patterns shifted significantly in recent years. The latest reporting period reflects a continuation of this increase in favorable outcomes compared to his earlier career. This shift may reflect changes in case mix or the quality of evidence presented in his courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge McPhail'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 McPhail? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Antonio hearing office
The San Antonio hearing office serves a large population across Texas, managing a high volume of SSDI claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a steady flow of hearings to address your needs. The office-wide latest approval rate is 52%, reflecting regional trends in disability adjudication. You can see the San Antonio Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the San Antonio hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 39% to 51%. Because of this variance, understanding the office-wide environment is as important as looking at any single judge's history. You can find more information on the San Antonio 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.