Who decides cases at this office
The panel at Dallas Downtown consists of 10 judges with allowance rates ranging from 47% to 78%. 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 is assigned to your case.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C. F. Moore | 76% | 10,417 | |
| 2 | Rebecca D. Westfall | 76% | 2,677 | |
| 3 | Gal Lahat | 70% | 19,919 | |
| 4 | Tammy A. Thames | 69% | 25,886 | |
| 5 | J. M. Brounoff | 66% | 11,327 | |
| 6 | Janis Estrada | 65% | 7,050 | |
| 7 | Mary E. Johnson | 64% | 11,960 | |
| 8 | James W. Lessis | 62% | 22,499 | |
| 9 | Tresie Kinnell | 56% | 27,702 | |
| 10 | David Foley | 55% | 6,100 | |
| 11 | Michael Sauve | 52% | 6,489 | |
| 12 | Mark J. Mendola | 51% | 21,539 | |
| 13 | J. Frederick Gatzke | 51% | 1,576 | |
| 14 | Evelyn Maiben | 50% | 27,110 | |
| 15 | William E. Sampson | 47% | 18,594 | |
| 16 | Sharon L. Steckler | 43% | 612 | |
| 17 | Peri Collins | 20% | 19,298 |
Former & transferred judges
SSA rosters change as judges retire, transfer, or move to national assignments. These judges previously decided Social Security disability cases from this location but are not on the current roster. Their full public decision records are on their profiles.
How long you'll wait
At Dallas Downtown, the average wait from hearing request to written decision is 7 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
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
With a 7-month wait, you have a window to ensure your medical records are complete. Focus on gathering recent treatment notes, a detailed log of your daily activities, and statements from people who can describe your limitations. Your hearing will typically involve an ALJ and a vocational expert who may testify about your ability to perform specific jobs. Because the evidence-submission deadline is strict, you must provide all new documentation well before your date. The ALJ will weigh this evidence against the vocational expert's testimony to determine your eligibility, and you will receive the final decision by mail after the hearing concludes.
When a panel's allowance rates span a wide range, your file must be robust enough that no judge can dismiss it due to gaps in documentation. Identifying these weaknesses early ensures your medical evidence directly addresses the criteria the ALJ uses to evaluate disability.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Dallas Downtown, 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.