Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes to understand how a judge performs relative to their peers. While Lawrence T. Ragona has a 35% lifetime approval rate, his latest-period rate is 44%. This compares to an office-wide lifetime range of 26% to 67% for all judges on record. 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 Ragona'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
Since 2016, the approval trend for Lawrence T. Ragona has shown a gradual shift. After hovering in the low-to-mid 30% range for several years, the data shows an upward movement in recent periods, reaching 44% in the latest reporting window. This pattern suggests that recent decisions reflect a higher frequency of allowances compared to the earlier record. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Ragona'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 Alexandria hearing office
The Alexandria hearing office serves claimants across Louisiana, operating as a critical hub for regional disability claims. With a bench of 10 judges on record, the office maintains an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 55%. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the Alexandria Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 10 judges on record at this office since 2016, 7 of whom reported in the latest period. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 26% to 67% on a lifetime basis. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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
Lawrence T. Ragona's 35% lifetime approval rate sits within the broader office-wide range of 26% to 67%. While his latest-period rate of 44% is lower than the office's latest-period average of 55%, every case is unique. An attorney can help you prepare a case strategy that addresses the specific evidence requirements for this judge.
Yes, the data shows a shift in approval patterns. While he maintained an approval rate in the 30% to 35% range for much of the period between 2016 and 2022, recent years have seen an increase to 44%. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to the evidence in your specific claim.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration uses a random, workload-based algorithm to assign cases to ensure efficiency. Because you cannot control your assignment, working with an attorney is the best way to ensure your case is prepared for any judge.
A judge's approval rate is a reflection of past decisions, not a guarantee of how they will rule on your specific claim. With 3,616 lifetime decisions on record, Lawrence T. Ragona has a well-established pattern, but the outcome of your hearing will depend primarily on the medical evidence and testimony you present. An attorney can help you build a strong case regardless of which judge is assigned.