Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes. While Brian A. Oakes has an approval rate of 62% across his record since 2023, his latest-period performance shows an approval rate of 77%. This latest figure sits 6 points above the Montgomery office average of 71%, 15 points above the state average, and 19 points above the national average.
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 Oakes'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
The data for Brian A. Oakes shows an upward trend in approval rates since 2023. After an approval rate of 53% in 2023 and 45% in 2024, the rate rose to 70% in 2025 and reached 77% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. With 1,271 total decisions on record, this shift indicates a change in recent outcomes compared to the earlier data points in the window.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Oakes'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.
About the Montgomery hearing office
The Montgomery hearing office serves you across Alabama and the surrounding region. It maintains a bench of 17 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 71%. You can expect a formal administrative process where evidence quality is the primary driver of the outcome.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Montgomery
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 17 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, and 9 of them decided cases here in the latest file through July 2026. Approval rates across this bench range from 21% to 92% on their respective records.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Brian A. Oakes has a latest-period approval rate of 77%, which is 6 percentage points higher than the 71% average for the Montgomery hearing office. Because case assignment is random, an attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Yes, the approval rate for Brian A. Oakes has trended upward, moving from 53% in 2023 to 77% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to the specific evidence in your case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare for the hearing process regardless of your assigned judge.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where the judge reviews your medical records and hears your testimony. Having an attorney can help you organize your evidence and prepare for the questions the judge may ask.
The 62% approval rate on record since 2023 reflects past decisions and is not a prediction for your specific hearing. Every case is unique, and an attorney can help you determine if your medical evidence meets the necessary criteria for approval.
