Approval rates
Judge Porter maintains a lifetime approval rate of 66% based on 21,770 decisions rendered over a decade on the bench. In the most recent reporting period, you would find the judge recorded a 61% approval rate, which aligns with the Fayetteville office average but remains 8 percentage points above the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the judge's history. 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 Porter'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Porter has seen fluctuations in approval rates, ranging from a high of 100% in early, low-volume years to a more recent 62% in 2025. The data shows a period of stability between 2018 and 2023, followed by a shift in 2024. This pattern reflects the evolving nature of disability adjudication and the diverse medical evidence you present in your case. The recent period suggests a return toward the long-term average after a year of lower approval activity.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Porter'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 Porter? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Fayetteville NC hearing office
The Fayetteville NC Hearing Office serves a large population of applicants across North Carolina, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an approval rate that reflects the complex medical and vocational evidence common in the region. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and work history. You can see the Fayetteville NC Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns your case to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is effectively random. Within the Fayetteville office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 47% to 78%. Because you cannot choose your judge, understanding the office-wide environment is as important as looking at one individual's history. For your preparation, the guidance remains consistent 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.