Approval rates
Judge Morgan has maintained a consistent approach to disability claims over his 10 years on the bench. When comparing his latest-period approval rate of 40% against the New Orleans Hearing Office average of 53%, his courtroom operates with a distinct evidentiary standard. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 19,446 lifetime decisions, providing a stable statistical baseline. 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 Morgan'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 the course of his tenure, your judge's approval rates have shown a gradual upward trend, moving from 28% in 2016 to 41% in 2025. While his lifetime average remains at 36%, the recent data suggests a shift in how cases are evaluated in his courtroom. These shifts often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of medical evidence presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Morgan'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 Morgan? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the New Orleans hearing office
The New Orleans Hearing Office serves a large population across Louisiana, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office handles a complex mix of physical and mental health impairments. The latest office-wide approval rate of 53% provides a benchmark for the region's overall adjudication environment.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Morgan is essentially random. The New Orleans Hearing Office features a diverse bench with lifetime approval rates ranging from 36% to 70%. Because each judge weighs evidence differently, your experience may vary significantly depending on who is assigned to your file.
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.