Approval rates
Judge Stimson's approval rate is calculated from a docket of 19,394 lifetime decisions accumulated over his 8 years on the bench. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate outperformed the Memphis Hearing Office average by 10 percentage points and exceeded both the state and national averages by 6 percentage points. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than individual hearing outcomes.
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 Stimson'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 tenure, Judge Stimson has shown a consistent decision pattern, peaking at 71% in 2021. While his annual rates have fluctuated between 56% and 71%, the most recent data shows a return to his long-term average of 63%. This stability reflects a steady approach to evaluating your disability claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Stimson'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 Stimson? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Memphis hearing office
The Memphis Hearing Office serves a large population across Tennessee, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains an environment where case processing is standardized to meet federal requirements. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Memphis Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Memphis Hearing Office, the bench of 6 judges displays a wide range of lifetime approval rates, spanning from 48% to 73%. Because you cannot choose your judge, you should focus on the strength of your medical documentation.
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.