Approval rates
Comparing a judge's history to broader trends provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Willis has issued 25,942 lifetime decisions, establishing a consistent record. While his latest approval rate of 47% trails the national average of 58%, this data reflects a large volume of cases rather than a guarantee of any specific outcome. 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 Willis'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-year tenure, Judge Willis has seen his approval rates fluctuate. After an initial period of higher approvals in 2016 and 2017, the rate adjusted and has remained relatively steady in recent years. The latest reporting period shows a 47% approval rate, which aligns with his long-term historical performance. This stability suggests a consistent approach to evaluating your evidence and medical documentation.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Willis'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 Willis? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Fayetteville NC hearing office
The Fayetteville NC Hearing Office serves claimants across North Carolina, managing a high volume of disability cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide approval rate that reflects the diverse nature of the cases heard in this region. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Fayetteville NC 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 your judge is typically assigned randomly. Within the Fayetteville NC office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 47% to 78%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare.
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.