Approval rates
Judge Wheeler has issued 25,748 lifetime decisions during his 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate stood at 48%, which contrasts with the 65% average at the Dallas North Hearing Office and the 58% national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases have been decided in his courtroom over time. 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 Wheeler'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 the past decade, your judge's approval rate has ranged from a low of 42% in 2016 to a high of 55% in 2020. More recently, the rate has been 52% in 2024 and 49% in 2025. This pattern reflects a consistent approach to evaluating evidence over the long term.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Wheeler'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 Wheeler? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Dallas North Odar hearing office
The Dallas North Hearing Office serves a large population across Texas, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an active docket and processes thousands of hearings annually. The office currently reports an approval rate of 65%. You can visit the Dallas North Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Dallas North Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 48% to 80%. Because you cannot choose your judge, you should focus on the strength of your medical evidence and testimony.
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.