Approval rates
Understanding how a judge compares to their peers provides helpful context for your upcoming hearing. Among the 20 judges whose most recent office on record is Indianapolis, approval rates range from 43% to 75% on their records since 2016. With 2,024 decisions on record, the data for T. Whitaker provides a look at past patterns. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Whitaker. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 25, 2020. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Whitaker'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
The approval rate for T. Whitaker has shown variation across the 2,024 decisions on record since 2016. After an initial 53% approval rate in 2016, the figures reached 60% in 2017, 51% in 2018, 53% in 2019, and 61% in 2020. These yearly shifts reflect the specific cases heard during those periods.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Whitaker'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
The Indianapolis hearing office serves you and other claimants across Indiana and the surrounding region. There are 20 judges whose most recent office on record is this location. While the office-wide latest-period approval rate is 64%, your individual outcome depends on the evidence presented in your file. For more information on the local bench, see the Indianapolis hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
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 Indianapolis, and 11 of them decided cases here in SSA's latest file. Because approval rates across this bench range from 43% to 75%, it is natural to feel concerned about who will hear your case. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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
T. Whitaker has a 55% approval rate on record since 2016. This sits within the broader range of 43% to 75% observed among the 20 judges whose most recent office on record is Indianapolis. An attorney can help you prepare your case to meet the specific evidentiary standards of this bench.
The approval rate for T. Whitaker has fluctuated over time, starting at 53% in 2016 and reaching 61% by 2020. These yearly shifts reflect the complexity of the cases heard rather than a fixed policy. A qualified attorney can help you understand how these patterns might relate to your specific claim.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Because you cannot choose your judge, working with an attorney is the best way to ensure your case is prepared for any outcome.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where the judge reviews your medical evidence and may hear testimony from you or vocational experts. The goal is to determine if your impairment meets SSA criteria. An attorney can help you prepare for the questions you are likely to face during this process.
