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Birmingham Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Alabama · SSA Region 04

Approval Rate

52%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

7 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

254 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

2,219

awaiting hearing

ALJs

14

active judges

Birmingham 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
Brian Turner 84% 16% 77.7% 350 401
Robert Waller 80% 20% 66.7% 15 20
William Lawson 76.7% 23.3% 69.8% 159 179
Ronald Reeves 66.7% 33.3% 56.4% 117 136
Renee B Satisfield 55.6% 44.4% 53.7% 54 64
Monica D Jackson 54% 46% 46% 291 345
Cynthia W Brown 53.6% 46.4% 46.4% 56 63
Emilie Kraft 52.8% 47.2% 43.9% 337 409
Sheila E McDonald 51.2% 48.8% 47.7% 86 96
Lisa M Johnson 43.2% 56.8% 39.4% 287 334
Mary E Helmer 39.8% 60.2% 33% 349 397
George W Merchant 39.5% 60.5% 34.6% 390 468
Clarence Guthrie 38.9% 61.1% 30.3% 445 523
Jerome L Munford 25% 75% 25% 20 21

About the Birmingham Social Security Hearing Office

Claimants in the Birmingham service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in Alabama. The office is assigned to SSA Region 04 and has 14 active ALJs. With 14 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 52%, which is below the national average of 58.3%. This rate is shaped by the interplay of case characteristics, local representation patterns, and individual judge decision tendencies. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 25% to 84%, a 59-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 7 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 254 days. There are currently 2,219 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 159 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 47.9%. 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 Birmingham Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Birmingham, 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 7 months and 254 days average processing time, claimants at Birmingham can expect a total timeline of roughly 15 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Birmingham have collectively issued 2,956 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 211 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 15 to 445 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Birmingham Hearing Office FAQ

What is the approval rate at Birmingham?
The average ALJ approval rate at Birmingham is 52% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 25% to 84%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 47.9%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Which judges hear cases at Birmingham?
The Birmingham office has 14 administrative law judges. Of these, 12 have issued 50 or more decisions in FY 2025. Decision counts range from 15 to 445 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long is the wait time at Birmingham?
The current average wait time at Birmingham is 7 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 254 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 15 months. Note that wait times are point-in-time estimates from SSA reporting and may vary from month to month based on case volume and staffing changes.
How is office data calculated?
With 14 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. These figures rely on SSA's publicly released disposition records, which are processed and incorporated into our database as each reporting cycle concludes.
What is the fully favorable rate at Birmingham?
A fully favorable outcome awards benefits from the date the claimant first alleged disability. A partially favorable outcome also results in an award but may recognize a later onset date, reducing retroactive benefits. In the approval rate shown here, both types of favorable decisions are included. At Birmingham, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 47.9%.
How does Birmingham compare to other offices in the state?
Of the 3 hearing offices in Alabama, Birmingham has the lowest approval rate at 52%. In terms of wait time, Birmingham ranks 3 of 3 (7 months). Visit the Alabama overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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