Approval rates
Judge Norris maintains a lifetime approval rate of 66% based on 2,501 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, this rate outperformed the Indianapolis office average by 5 percentage points and the national average by 8 percentage points. 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 Norris'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 2-year tenure, the decision pattern for Judge Norris has shown a shift from a 67% approval rate in 2016 to 50% in 2017. This change reflects a smaller volume of decisions in the latter period, which can occur due to shifts in case mix or procedural updates. Understanding this trend is helpful, but the strength of your medical evidence remains the primary factor in your hearing outcome. You can review the Indianapolis Hearing Office page for more context on local trends.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Norris'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 Norris? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Indianapolis hearing office
The Indianapolis Hearing Office serves a large population across Indiana, managing a high volume of SSDI claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office maintains a consistent focus on 20 CFR Part 404 regulations regarding disability eligibility. You can expect a formal hearing process where your medical evidence is scrutinized for consistency. You can see the Indianapolis Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Indianapolis office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 48% to 72%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the quality of your medical documentation and testimony. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.