Approval rates
Judge Olson maintains a lifetime approval rate of 49% based on 11,416 decisions. Compared to the latest reporting period, the judge's rate sits 13 percentage points below the Fargo office average of 62% and 9 points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical look at historical trends within the courtroom.
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 Olson'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 7-year tenure, Judge Olson has seen fluctuations in approval rates. The data shows a trend that shifted from 51% in 2016 to 39% in 2021. This pattern suggests a variation in case outcomes over time, which may be influenced by changes in the types of medical evidence presented or evolving case mix requirements.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Olson'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 Olson? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Fargo hearing office
The Fargo Hearing Office serves you across North Dakota and surrounding areas. It is staffed by 6 administrative law judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. With an office-wide latest approval rate of 62%, the facility focuses on processing complex medical and vocational evidence to reach fair determinations. You can visit the Fargo Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the Fargo Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 46% to 64%. This variance highlights that while the office operates under shared federal guidelines, individual judicial patterns differ.
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.