Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance requires looking at both their long-term history and recent trends. Judge Thompson has maintained a 45% lifetime approval rate over a decade of service, which contrasts with the Oklahoma City office average of 73% in the latest reporting period. These figures are derived from a high volume of cases, providing a stable statistical baseline for review. 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 Thompson'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Thompson has seen his approval rate fluctuate, moving from a high of 55% in 2017 to a low of 38% in 2022. Recent data shows a stabilization, with a 44% approval rate in the latest reporting period. This trend suggests a consistent approach to evaluating your disability claim. The current pattern reflects a steady cadence in how the judge weighs medical evidence and vocational testimony.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Thompson'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 Thompson? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Oklahoma City hearing office
The Oklahoma City Hearing Office serves a broad population across Oklahoma, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 73%. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical documentation and work history. You can see the Oklahoma City 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. Across the Oklahoma City bench, lifetime approval rates for judges range from 43% to 79%. Because you cannot choose your judge, understanding the general environment of the office is more important than focusing on any single peer. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Oklahoma City 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.