Approval rates
Judge Rolph's lifetime approval rate of 54% is based on 19,175 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, their approval rate was 52%, which is 2 percentage points lower than the state average of 53% and 6 percentage points lower than the national average of 58%. These figures offer a look at past performance, though aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predictions for your 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 Rolph'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 decade on the bench, Judge Rolph has seen fluctuations in approval rates, ranging from a low of 48% in 2019 to a high of 66% in 2024. The data shows a period of relative stability followed by recent shifts. This trend pattern suggests that while the judge's approach has evolved, the core decision-making process remains consistent with their long-term average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Rolph'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 Rolph? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Nhc Albuquerque hearing office
The NHC Albuquerque Hearing Office serves you across New Mexico and the surrounding region. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a significant volume of disability claims. You can expect a standard administrative hearing process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the NHC Albuquerque Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. At the NHC Albuquerque office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 41% to 61%. Because of this variance, the judge you draw can influence the context of your hearing. For preparation purposes, 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.