Official SSA Data

Dallas North Oho Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Texas · SSA Region 06

Approval Rate

67.8%

vs 57.6% national

Wait Time

7.5 months

vs 8.4 months national

Processing Time

258 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

5,609

awaiting hearing

ALJs

12

active judges

Dallas North Oho ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics

Individual judge statistics for 12 months ending July 2026. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.

Judge Approval Rate Denial Rate Fully Favorable Total Decisions Dispositions
Whitfield Haigler JR. 98.2% 1.8% 89.4% 273 331
Haigler JR. 97.2% 2.8% 94.4% 72 93
Joseph Liken 87.6% 12.4% 80.8% 421 530
Charles Walters 85.2% 14.8% 77.6% 420 508
Jana Kinkade 74.8% 25.2% 61.3% 408 511
Derek N. Phillips 68.6% 31.4% 60.3% 408 529
Samuel Thomason 64.5% 35.5% 53.5% 256 302
Ralph F. Shilling 59.2% 40.8% 54.2% 336 415
Mark Kim 52.4% 47.6% 38.2% 395 532
Thomas Wheeler 49.4% 50.6% 37.5% 397 515
Julie Nestler 33.7% 66.3% 20.7% 377 489
Paul Isherwood 20.5% 79.5% 17.4% 386 506

Former Judges at Dallas North Oho

This judge has no recorded decisions at Dallas North Oho in the 12 months ending July 2026. Figures below cover each judge's own last twelve reported months, ending in the month shown.

Judge Last Decisions Reported Approval Rate Total Decisions
Daniel Curran December 2023 59.6% 109

Approval rates here cover each judge's own trailing window ending in the month shown, so they are not directly comparable with the current roster above or with national figures.

About the Dallas North Oho Social Security Hearing Office

Claimants in the Dallas North Oho service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in Texas. The office is assigned to SSA Region 06 and has 12 active ALJs. With 12 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 67.8%, which is above the national average of 57.6%. This rate emerges from the aggregate of individual judge decisions and should be understood in the context of local case demographics and representation patterns. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 20.5% to 98.2%, a 78-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 7.5 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 258 days. There are currently 5,609 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 467 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 57.1%. 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 Dallas North Oho Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Dallas North Oho, 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 7.5 months and 258 days average processing time, claimants at Dallas North Oho can expect a total timeline of roughly 16 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Dallas North Oho have collectively issued 4,149 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 346 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 72 to 421 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Dallas North Oho Hearing Office FAQ

How often are disability cases approved at Dallas North Oho?
The average ALJ approval rate at Dallas North Oho is 67.8% for the 12 months ending July 2026. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 20.5% to 98.2%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 57.1%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
How many ALJs work at Dallas North Oho?
The Dallas North Oho office has 12 administrative law judges. Decision counts range from 72 to 421 in the 12 months ending July 2026. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
What is the average case processing time at Dallas North Oho?
The current average wait time at Dallas North Oho is 7.5 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8.4 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 258 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 16 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 12 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.
How often do judges at Dallas North Oho issue fully favorable decisions?
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 Dallas North Oho, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 57.1%.
Is Dallas North Oho's approval rate higher or lower than nearby offices?
Of the 7 hearing offices in Texas, Dallas North Oho has the highest approval rate at 67.8%. In terms of wait time, Dallas North Oho ranks 1 of 7 (7.5 months). Visit the Texas overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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