Approval rates
The approval rate for Judge Pugrud is calculated based on her 2,397 lifetime decisions at the Social Security Administration. Currently, her approval rate stands 12 percentage points higher than the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical look at her history within the Billings Hearing Office compared to broader state and national trends. 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 Pugrud'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 her 3 years on the bench, Judge Pugrud has maintained a consistent approval pattern. While her yearly data shows a shift from 72% in 2016 to 63% in 2018, her lifetime average remains 70%. This trend reflects the natural evolution of a judge's docket and changes in case complexity over time. The recent period suggests a steady approach to evaluating your disability claim based on the evidence you present.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Pugrud'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 Pugrud? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Billings hearing office
The Billings Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Montana and the surrounding region. It is staffed by 6 judges who manage a high volume of disability hearings annually. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 64%, reflecting the local standard for evaluating claims. You can see the Billings 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 Billings Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 31% to 70%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence. 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.