Approval rates
Judge Weatherly maintains a lifetime approval rate of 57% based on 23,096 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her 60% approval rate sits 7 points below the Eugene office average and 9 points below the state average, while remaining 2 points above the national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for her tenure on the bench. 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 Weatherly'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 Weatherly has shown a varied approval trend. After starting at 45% in 2016, her approval rates climbed to a peak of 66% in 2020 before stabilizing in the high 50s and low 60s. The recent 60% approval rate in the latest period suggests a continuation of this steady pattern. This trajectory reflects how case mix and evidentiary standards can shift over a decade of service.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Weatherly'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 Weatherly? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Eugene hearing office
The Eugene (Oregon) Hearing Office serves a broad population across the region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide approval rate that fluctuates based on the complexity of the cases heard. You can expect a professional environment focused on the thorough review of medical and vocational evidence. You can see the Eugene 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 effectively random. Across the Eugene office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 44% to 81%. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the hearing room, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.