Official SSA Data

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

Texas · SSA Region 06

Approval Rate

65.1%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

7 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

250 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

3,280

awaiting hearing

ALJs

11

active judges

Dallas North Oho 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
Mark J Mendola 100% N/A 100% 1 1
Haigler JR. 90.6% 9.4% 85.9% 341 403
Joseph Liken 87.4% 12.6% 76.5% 429 529
Charles Walters 83.3% 16.7% 77.9% 348 442
Jana Kinkade 76% 24% 63.4% 363 436
Derek N Phillips 67.3% 32.7% 58% 355 463
Ralph F Shilling 55.5% 44.5% 49.6% 238 290
Mark Kim 48.5% 51.5% 36.1% 402 504
Thomas J Wheeler 47.5% 52.5% 35.9% 421 524
Julie Nestler 40.5% 59.5% 22.9% 398 490
Paul Isherwood 31.7% 68.3% 26% 104 138

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 11 active ALJs. With 11 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 65.1%, which is above the national average of 58.3%. 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 31.7% to 100%, a 68-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 250 days. There are currently 3,280 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 298 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 57.5%. 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 months and 250 days average processing time, claimants at Dallas North Oho can expect a total timeline of roughly 15 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Dallas North Oho have collectively issued 3,400 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 309 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 429 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 65.1% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 31.7% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 57.5%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at Dallas North Oho?
The Dallas North Oho office has 11 administrative law judges. Of these, 10 have issued 50 or more decisions in FY 2025. Decision counts range from 1 to 429 in the current fiscal year. 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 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 250 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 11 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 57.5%.
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 65.1%. In terms of wait time, Dallas North Oho ranks 3 of 7 (7 months). Visit the Texas overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.