Approval rates
Judge Stam's approval rate is evaluated against the latest performance metrics from the Raleigh Hearing Office and national benchmarks. With a lifetime record of 11,096 decisions, the data provides a clear view of how this judge has historically approached disability claims. While the office latest approval rate sits at 62%, Judge Stam's recent performance offers a point of comparison for your upcoming hearing. 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 Stam'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 and 11,096 lifetime decisions, Judge Stam has demonstrated a consistent approach to case adjudication. The yearly trend shows a period of stability between 2016 and 2017, followed by a shift in the subsequent years. While the most recent reporting period shows a variance from the lifetime average, the overall pattern remains steady. This consistency helps you understand the historical context of the judge's bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Stam'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 Stam? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Raleigh hearing office
The Raleigh Hearing Office serves a significant volume of claimants across North Carolina, operating with a bench of 6 judges. With an office-wide latest approval rate of 62%, this location manages a high caseload typical of regional centers. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on medical and vocational evidence. You can visit the Raleigh 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Raleigh Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 40% to 69%. This variance highlights the importance of focusing on the merits of your specific claim. 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.