Approval rates
Judge Starr maintains a lifetime approval rate of 49% across his tenure. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 10 percentage points lower than the Fort Smith Hearing Office average and 9 percentage points lower than the national average. These figures are derived from a docket of 21,809 lifetime decisions, providing a view of his historical decision-making patterns. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of your specific 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 Starr'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 his 9 years on the bench, Judge Starr has maintained a consistent approach to disability claims. His yearly approval trends show fluctuations, moving from 42% in 2016 to a peak of 54% in 2017, before stabilizing in the 50% range through recent years. This pattern suggests a steady judicial philosophy that has remained predictable throughout his tenure. The data reflects a continuation of this long-term, stable pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Starr'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 Starr? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Fort Smith hearing office
The Fort Smith Hearing Office serves a broad population across Arkansas, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office handles a diverse caseload that requires careful navigation of Social Security regulations. The office-wide latest approval rate is 59%, providing a benchmark for the local judicial environment. You can visit the Fort Smith 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 Judge Starr is random. Within the Fort Smith Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 46% to 66%. While these variations exist, the core requirements for proving your disability remain consistent across all courtrooms. You can find more information on the office's overall operations on the Fort Smith 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.