Approval rates
Judge Roger A. Nelson has presided over 17,784 lifetime decisions during his 10-year tenure. His recent approval rate of 85% compares favorably to the Mobile Hearing Office average of 73% and the national average of 58%. This data provides a look at his decision-making history, though aggregate rates do not predict the outcome of 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 Nelson'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 past decade, Judge Nelson has demonstrated an upward trend in his approval rates. While his early years on the bench saw rates between 67% and 73%, the last four years have shown a consistent rise, reaching 85% in the most recent period. This shift reflects a change from his initial baseline, and the latest period continues this steady pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Nelson'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 Nelson? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Mobile hearing office
The Mobile Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Alabama and the surrounding region. It is staffed by 6 administrative law judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 73%, which serves as a benchmark for the local docket.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to Judge Nelson is essentially random. Across the Mobile Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 54% to 76%. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the hearing room, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful for your preparation.
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.