Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks helps you contextualize your hearing environment. Judge Thames has consistently demonstrated an approval rate that exceeds both the Dallas Downtown office and the national average. With over 20,865 lifetime decisions, the data provides a statistically significant look at her tenure. 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 Thames'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 her 10 years on the bench, Judge Thames has shown a dynamic approval trend. While her lifetime rate is 69%, recent years have seen fluctuations, including an 80% approval rate in 2025. This latest period represents a departure from her earlier, more moderate years, suggesting a shift in her decision-making pattern. Understanding these trends is helpful, though the strength of your medical evidence remains the primary driver of your case outcome.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Thames'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 Thames? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Dallas Downtown hearing office
The Dallas Downtown Hearing Office serves a large population of claimants across Texas. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a high volume of cases, reflecting the regional demand for disability services. The office-wide latest approval rate currently sits at 60%, providing a baseline for your local jurisdiction. You can see the Dallas Downtown 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Dallas Downtown office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 49% to 69%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the universal requirements for disability eligibility. 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.