Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to look at how Judge Shropshire's approval rates compare to broader benchmarks. While the national average approval rate currently sits at 58%, Judge Shropshire has maintained a lifetime rate of 47% over 13,828 decisions. These figures provide a statistical baseline for the Little Rock Hearing Office, where the latest office-wide approval rate is 41%. 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 Shropshire'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 5-year tenure, Judge Shropshire's decision-making has shown a varied trend. After approval rates of 52% in 2016 and 54% in 2017, the data shows a shift toward lower approval percentages in 2018 and 2019 before reaching 41% in 2020. These fluctuations are common in Social Security disability adjudication as case mixes and evidentiary requirements evolve over time.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Shropshire'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 Shropshire? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Little Rock hearing office
The Little Rock Hearing Office serves you throughout Arkansas, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office maintains a latest approval rate of 41%, reflecting regional trends in disability adjudication. When you appear here, be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Little Rock Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Little Rock Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 27% to 52%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your own medical evidence is the most effective strategy. You can find more information on the Little Rock Hearing Office page.
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.