Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge Pizzo's 54% lifetime approval rate is measured against the New Orleans Hearing Office latest rate of 53% and the national average of 58%. With a docket spanning 19,197 decisions, these figures offer a stable view of her historical decision-making. 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 Pizzo'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 your 8 years on the bench, Judge Pizzo has shown a consistent approach to disability claims. Her yearly approval trends have moved from 58% in 2016 to 59% in 2023, reflecting a steady pattern of adjudication. While there was a fluctuation in 2017, the subsequent years demonstrate a return to a stable range. This trend suggests that her current decision-making is well-established and predictable for those familiar with her courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Pizzo'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 Pizzo? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the New Orleans hearing office
The New Orleans Hearing Office serves a significant population across Louisiana, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 53%. You should expect a professional environment focused on the thorough review of your medical documentation. You can see the New Orleans 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the New Orleans Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 36% to 70%. This variance highlights why focusing on your own medical evidence is critical. 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.