Approval rates
Judge Moore's approval rate is calculated based on 8,036 lifetime decisions made during their tenure. In the latest reporting period, the judge's rate sits 16 points higher than the Dallas Downtown office average, 19 points higher than the state average, and 18 points higher than the national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the judge's history. 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 Moore'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 4-year tenure, the judge's approval rate has shown a dynamic trend. After an initial 82% in 2017, the rate shifted to 70% in 2018, 77% in 2019, and 79% in 2020. These fluctuations across 8,036 lifetime decisions suggest that the judge's approach to evidence and case requirements may evolve. The recent trend reflects a pattern where the judge remains consistently above the local office baseline.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Moore'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 Moore? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Dallas Downtown hearing office
The Dallas Downtown hearing office serves a large population in Texas. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains an average approval rate of 60%. You can expect a formal hearing process where the quality of your evidence is the primary driver of the outcome. You can view the full ALJ roster on the Dallas Downtown Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. At the Dallas Downtown hearing office, the bench consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 49% to 76%. Because of this variance, it is important to understand the tendencies of the judge assigned to your case. You can find more information on the Dallas Downtown 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.