Approval rates
Judge Wallis maintains a lifetime approval rate of 78% across 21,550 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 84%, which is 20 percentage points higher than the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases have been decided in his courtroom over the last decade. 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 Wallis'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Wallis has shown a consistent upward trend in approval rates. Starting at 57% in 2016, his annual approval rate climbed steadily, reaching a peak of 91% in 2024. This trajectory suggests a stable decision-making pattern that has remained well above the office and national averages for several years. The recent data reflects a continuation of this long-term trend toward higher approval outcomes.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Wallis'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 Wallis? A free benefit check tells you if you qualify.
Check My BenefitsAbout the St Louis hearing office
The St Louis Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Missouri and surrounding areas. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a high volume of cases to address the needs of the local population. The office-wide latest approval rate is 54%, which provides context for the local environment. You can see the St Louis Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the St Louis Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 41% to 78%. Because of this variance, understanding the bench as a whole is important for your preparation. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the St Louis 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.