Approval rates
Your judge's approval rate stands at 81%, which is 17 percentage points above the Tulsa Hearing Office average and 23 percentage points above the national average. These figures are based on 11,448 lifetime decisions, providing a clear view of historical decision-making tendencies. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of 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 Wolfe'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 5 years on the bench, your judge has maintained a consistent approval pattern, with annual rates ranging from 76% to 86%. The data shows a stable trend, with the most recent reporting period reflecting a continuation of this high approval frequency. This consistency suggests that the approach to evaluating disability evidence has remained steady throughout the judge's tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Wolfe'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 Wolfe? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Tulsa hearing office
The Tulsa Hearing Office serves a broad population across the region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office handles a diverse caseload that requires careful attention to medical and vocational evidence. You can expect a formal process focused on the specific requirements of your claim. You can see the Tulsa Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Tulsa Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 38% to 81%. Because of this variance, understanding the tendencies of your assigned judge is a standard part of hearing preparation. You can find more information on the Tulsa Hearing Office page.
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.