Approval rates
Judge Shilling maintains a lifetime approval rate of 55%. In the most recent reporting period, the judge recorded a 56% approval rate, compared to the Dallas North Hearing Office average of 65% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 23,700 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting your individual outcome.
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 Shilling'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 10-year tenure, Judge Shilling has seen annual approval rates ranging from 50% to 66%. The data shows a fluctuating trend, with the most recent year showing a 58% approval rate. This latest period reflects a continuation of the judge's established pattern of balancing approvals and denials based on the evidence presented in each file.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Shilling'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 Shilling? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Dallas North hearing office
The Dallas North Hearing Office serves a large population in Texas, managing a high volume of disability claims. The office currently maintains an office-wide approval rate of 65%. You should be prepared for a formal process focused on medical documentation and vocational evidence. You can visit the Dallas North 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 you cannot choose your judge. At the Dallas North Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 48% to 80%. Understanding the tendencies of the judge assigned to your case is a helpful part of your preparation.
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.