Approval rates
Judge Neel's approval record is built on a decade of experience, with a lifetime rate of 63% across 21,232 decisions. This performance is consistently higher than the national average of 58% and significantly above the state average of 46%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how this judge has historically evaluated disability claims. 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 Neel'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 10 years on the bench, your judge has shown a variable but generally favorable trend. While approval rates dipped to 49% in 2020, they have rebounded in recent years, reaching 73% in 2023 and holding at 66% in the latest period. This pattern suggests a judge who remains responsive to changes in case evidence and regulatory guidance. The recent stability indicates that the judge's current approach is well-established within the Fort Smith jurisdiction.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Neel'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 Neel? A free benefit check tells you if you qualify.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Fort Smith hearing office
The Fort Smith Hearing Office serves a broad region in Arkansas, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 59% in the latest period. You can expect a rigorous review of your medical documentation and vocational history. You can see the Fort Smith Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to Judge Neel is essentially random. Within the Fort Smith Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 46% to 66%. Because every judge interprets medical evidence differently, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful. You can find more information on the Fort Smith 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.