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Albuquerque Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

New Mexico · SSA Region 06

Approval Rate

56%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

9 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

314 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

1,979

awaiting hearing

ALJs

21

active judges

Albuquerque ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics

Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.

Judge Approval Rate Denial Rate Fully Favorable Total Decisions Dispositions
David R Gutierrez 80% 20% 80% 5 6
Douglas S. Stults 75% 25% 75% 8 11
Karen Wiedemann 72.5% 27.5% 45.1% 51 64
Katherine W Brown 71.4% 28.6% 57.1% 7 7
Jennifer M Fellabaum 68.5% 31.5% 55% 222 304
Janice L Holmes 66.7% 33.3% 33.3% 3 3
Holly Hansen 63.3% 36.7% 48.3% 147 170
Christopher H Juge 62.6% 37.4% 53.8% 91 110
Stephen Gontis 62.3% 37.7% 50.9% 53 61
Richard M Exnicios 60% 40% 51.8% 110 127
Robert Freedman 52.9% 47.1% 49.7% 153 185
Michelle K Lindsay 51% 49% 41% 210 272
Michael Leppala 50.8% 49.2% 36.8% 356 437
David R Wurm 50% 50% 41.7% 12 13
David Benedict 48.9% 51.1% 40% 135 159
Talia Timmins 47% 53% 38.4% 372 477
Michael S Hertzig 20% 80% 20% 5 8
Jim Fraiser N/A N/A N/A N/A 3
Dennis Hansen N/A N/A N/A N/A 1
D'lisa Simmons N/A N/A N/A N/A 1
Williams JR. N/A 100% N/A 1 1

About the Albuquerque Social Security Hearing Office

Albuquerque is a Social Security disability hearing office serving claimants in New Mexico. Operating within SSA Region 06, the office has 21 ALJs who preside over disability appeals. With 21 ALJs, this is one of the larger hearing offices in the system, handling a substantial volume of disability cases each fiscal year.

The office's average approval rate is 56%, which is near the national average of 58.3%. Being close to the national average suggests this office's case mix and decision patterns are broadly representative of the system as a whole. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 0% to 80%, a 80-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 9 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 314 days. There are currently 1,979 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 94 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 45.4%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.

How to Interpret Albuquerque Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Albuquerque, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.

With an average wait time of 9 months and 314 days average processing time, claimants at Albuquerque can expect a total timeline of roughly 19 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Albuquerque have collectively issued 1,941 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 92 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 372 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Albuquerque Hearing Office FAQ

What is the approval rate at Albuquerque?
The average ALJ approval rate at Albuquerque is 56% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 0% to 80%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 45.4%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Which judges hear cases at Albuquerque?
The Albuquerque office has 21 administrative law judges. Of these, 11 have issued 50 or more decisions in FY 2025. Decision counts range from 1 to 372 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long is the wait time at Albuquerque?
The current average wait time at Albuquerque is 9 months. This is longer than the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 314 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 19 months. These wait time figures represent the latest available snapshot and may fluctuate as hearing volumes and judge availability change over time.
How is office data calculated?
With 21 judges handling cases, this is one of the larger hearing offices. Office statistics are calculated by aggregating individual judge decision data. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. All statistics are drawn from publicly available SSA disposition data, updated periodically as new fiscal year reports become available.
What is the fully favorable rate at Albuquerque?
When a judge issues a fully favorable ruling, benefits begin from the claimant's requested onset date. A partially favorable ruling still awards benefits but may adjust the onset to a later date, which affects retroactive payments. The approval rate combines both outcome types. At Albuquerque, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 45.4%.
How does Albuquerque compare to other offices in the state?
Of the 2 hearing offices in New Mexico, Albuquerque has the highest approval rate at 56%. In terms of wait time, Albuquerque ranks 1 of 2 (9 months). Visit the New Mexico overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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