Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes to understand how a judge performs relative to their peers. While you may see a 49% approval rate for Kevin Walker since 2016, his latest-period rate of 50% provides a more current view of his docket. These figures help you understand the environment of your upcoming 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 Walker'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 December 2016, Kevin Walker has issued 3,981 decisions. His yearly approval trend has fluctuated, starting at 70% in 2017 and reaching 50% in the most recent period. This trend shows how your chances have shifted over the last decade.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Walker'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 Indianapolis hearing office
Kevin Walker's most recent office on record is the Indianapolis hearing office, which serves you across Indiana. With 20 judges on the bench, the office maintains an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 64%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Indianapolis
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 20 judges whose most recent office on record is the Indianapolis hearing office. Approval rates among this bench range from 43% to 75% on their records since 2016.
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
Kevin Walker has a 49% approval rate on record since 2016. This sits within the range of 43% to 75% observed among the 20 judges whose most recent office on record is the Indianapolis hearing office. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this hearing office.
The approval rate for Kevin Walker has seen yearly variations, ranging from a high of 70% in 2017 to 50% in the most recent period. These fluctuations are common and often reflect changes in the types of cases assigned to the docket. An attorney can help you understand how these patterns might relate to your specific claim.
No. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. You cannot choose your judge, which is why it is important to be prepared for any outcome. An attorney can help you build a strong case regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You may be questioned by the judge or a vocational expert about your ability to perform work. An attorney can help you navigate this process and ensure your evidence is presented effectively.
