Who decides cases at this office
The panel of 5 judges at this office shows a moderate spread in allowance rates, ranging from 45% to 70%. Because cases are assigned randomly, you cannot choose your judge, and each one weighs evidence differently. This variation means your file must be strong enough to stand on its own merits regardless of which judge presides.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edwin E. Kerstine | 91% | 8,350 | |
| 2 | Windell R. Owens | 60% | 5,063 | |
| 3 | Elizabeth De Gruy | 59% | 14,322 | |
| 4 | Willie L. Rose | 50% | 7,761 | |
| 5 | Marilyn R. Brand | 49% | 28,577 | |
| 6 | Larry J. Stroud | 45% | 29,570 | |
| 7 | Jeffrey C. Narvil | 45% | 26,329 | |
| 8 | Patricia Melvin | 40% | 28,862 |
Heading to an ALJ hearing? Get a free case review to prepare for your hearing.
Free Benefits ReviewHow long you'll wait
At Jackson, the average wait from hearing request to written decision is 6 months— versus a national average of 8 months. Here's how it's tracked month by month over the past 16 months.
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.
Going to your hearing
Hearings at the McCoy Federal Building move quickly, so you must submit all new medical records well before your hearing date to ensure they are considered. You will spend time in the hearing room where the judge will preside over your testimony and that of a vocational expert. This expert will testify about whether jobs exist that fit your specific physical or mental limitations. You should arrive with a clear, updated list of your medications and their side effects, along with a daily-activity log that highlights exactly how your condition prevents you from working. If you have witness statements from former coworkers or family members, these can provide crucial context for your limitations. The final decision will arrive by mail after the session concludes.
Hearings in Jackson come up faster than in most of the country, leaving you a shorter window to ensure your medical evidence is airtight. Once your hearing date is set, there is little time for a second pass at submitting documentation. You can use this time to pressure-test your file against the questions the vocational expert is likely to ask, ensuring your limitations are clearly documented before you walk into the hearing room.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Jackson, your case originated at one of the SSA field offices below — the local intake counter where you (or a representative) filed the initial application. Field offices don't decide hearings, but they hold your file, issue benefit-payment notices, and field the day-to-day questions during your wait.