Approval rates
Judge Willis maintains a lifetime approval rate of 48% based on 18,841 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 57%, which compares to the 54% office average and the 58% national average. These figures provide a statistical view of past performance, but they do not serve as a prediction for your specific 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 years on the bench, Judge Willis has seen his approval rates fluctuate, ranging from a low of 40% in 2018 to a high of 57% in 2025. The trend shows periods of stability followed by shifts, with the most recent data indicating an uptick in approvals compared to the previous year. This pattern suggests that the judge's approach to case evaluation remains responsive to the evidence presented in each unique file.
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 Memphis hearing office
The Memphis Hearing Office serves you throughout Tennessee and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of judges who manage a high volume of cases to ensure timely hearings for those seeking Social Security Disability Insurance. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 54%.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the Memphis Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 45% to 73%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent 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.