Approval rates
When reviewing the performance of an Administrative Law Judge, it is helpful to compare their lifetime record against current office and national benchmarks. Judge Vanderhoof's 31% lifetime approval rate is measured against a Las Vegas Hearing Office latest approval rate of 60% and a national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 8,596 lifetime decisions. 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 Vanderhoof'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 3 years on the bench, Judge Vanderhoof has maintained a distinct decision pattern. His approval rate moved from 39% in 2016 to 30% in 2017, and 15% in 2018. Such patterns are common in Social Security Disability Insurance hearings and often depend on the specific mix of medical evidence and vocational factors presented in your case.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Vanderhoof'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 Vanderhoof? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Las Vegas hearing office
The Las Vegas Hearing Office serves a large population across Nevada, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 60%. You can expect a rigorous review process focused on your medical documentation and vocational capacity. You can see the Las Vegas 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Las Vegas Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 31% to 68%. While these variations exist, the fundamental requirements for proving your disability remain consistent. You can find more information on the Las Vegas 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.