This page shows the disability approval rate of every Social Security administrative law judge (ALJ) at the Special Review Cadre hearing office, using official SSA data for fiscal year 2026 through August 28, 2026. Use it to understand what to expect if your disability hearing has been assigned to one of these judges.

Special Review Cadre hearing office at a glance

• Office approval rate: 64.6% (higher than the national average of 57.6%)
• Judges: 25 listed, 25 with decisions this period
• Decisions issued: 3,347 (1,418 fully favorable, 743 partially favorable, 1,186 denials)
• Total dispositions: 5,039 (including 1,692 dismissals)
• SSA region: 12

The highest approval rate at this office belongs to Christopher Dillon (100.0%); the lowest belongs to Katie H Pierce (22.2%).

Approval rate by judge

Sorted from highest to lowest approval rate. “Difference” compares the judge to the 57.6% national average. Rates for judges with fewer than 50 decisions are marked as a small sample and should be read with caution.

How to read these numbers

Approval rate = (fully favorable + partially favorable decisions) ÷ total decisions. A fully favorable decision grants benefits from the date the claimant requested; a partially favorable decision grants benefits but with a later onset date or other limitation. Dismissals (for example, when a claimant withdraws or misses the hearing) are not decisions on the merits and are excluded from the rate.

A judge’s past approval rate is not a prediction for any individual case. Outcomes depend primarily on the medical evidence, the claimant’s work history, and how well the case is prepared and presented.

Frequently asked questions

What is the approval rate at the Special Review Cadre Social Security hearing office?

In fiscal year 2026 through August 28, 2026, administrative law judges at the Special Review Cadre hearing office approved 64.6% of the cases they decided (1,418 fully favorable and 743 partially favorable out of 3,347 decisions). The national average is 57.6%.

Which judge at the Special Review Cadre hearing office has the highest approval rate?

Christopher Dillon had the highest approval rate at 100.0% across 3 decisions.

How many judges work at the Special Review Cadre hearing office?

SSA lists 25 administrative law judges at the Special Review Cadre hearing office, 25 of whom issued decisions during the reporting period.

Where does this data come from?

All figures come from the Social Security Administration's public ALJ Disposition Data report, reporting period ending August 28, 2026. Approval rate is calculated as fully favorable plus partially favorable decisions divided by total decisions; dismissals are excluded.

Source: Social Security Administration, ALJ Disposition Data, reporting period ending August 28, 2026 (report generated 09/22/2026). SSA updates this dataset monthly. Last updated on this site: October 13, 2026.