Approval rates
This table compares Deborah J. Van Vleck's approval performance against the broader bench at the NHC Albuquerque hearing office. All figures are calculated over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, providing a consistent window for comparison against office, state, and national averages. With 393 decisions in this period, the data offers a view of recent activity.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Van Vleck'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
Since January 2016, Deborah J. Van Vleck has issued 3,649 decisions on record. The approval rate has fluctuated over this period, showing variation between the 41% average since 2016 and the 42% rate observed over the most recent 12 months. The annual data reflects a pattern of activity that has remained consistent with broader office trends.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Van Vleck'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.
About the NHC Albuquerque hearing office
NHC Albuquerque is the most recent office on record for Deborah J. Van Vleck, with activity documented through July 2026. This office serves claimants across New Mexico and the surrounding region. The office's bench consists of 12 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with 6 of those judges appearing in SSA's latest file. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on the evidence provided in your file.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is NHC Albuquerque
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. At NHC Albuquerque, the 6 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file range from 42% to 57% over the 12-month window. There are 12 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with 6 of them having decided cases here in SSA's latest file.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Van Vleck's 42%. Four of them last decided cases in New Mexico. With too few close matches there, the rest come from SSA's Dallas region.
- 43% Approval rate, last 12 months Robert Freedman
- 45% Approval rate, last 12 months Barry O'Melinn
- 45% Approval rate, last 12 months Joyce Frost-Wolf
- 47% Approval rate, last 12 months Talia Timmins
- 42% Approval rate, last 12 months Dennis Hansen
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Van Vleck and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Deborah J. Van Vleck approved 42% of cases. This sits within the 42% to 57% range of the 6 judges who decided cases at NHC Albuquerque in SSA's latest file. An attorney can help you understand how these local trends might apply to your specific case.
Deborah J. Van Vleck has a 41% approval rate across 3,649 decisions on record since 2016. While the rate has shifted year-to-year, the 42% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, remains close to this long-term average. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of these historical fluctuations.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Because you cannot influence this assignment, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the best way to prepare for your hearing. An attorney can help you organize your evidence.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions, not a prediction of your outcome. Every case is unique, and your success depends on the specific medical evidence and testimony you present. An attorney can help you organize your evidence to ensure your case is as strong as possible.
