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Hattiesburg Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Mississippi · SSA Region 04

Approval Rate

48.4%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

6 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

226 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

1,743

awaiting hearing

ALJs

10

active judges

Hattiesburg 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
James S Elkins 86.3% 13.7% 81.3% 342 400
Wendy Hollingsworth 65.7% 34.3% 56.6% 309 378
Brian Jones 60.2% 39.8% 53.9% 128 155
Lori S Grayson 44.4% 55.6% 36.4% 302 353
William C Grayson 43.5% 56.5% 39.5% 324 389
Douglas Gilmer 36.3% 63.7% 33.8% 204 240
Lanier Williams 35.7% 64.3% 21.4% 14 16
Felicia D Burkes 32% 68% 26.9% 338 428
Laurie H Porciello 30.8% 69.2% 18.9% 312 368
Michael D Harbart 28.8% 71.2% 27.8% 198 259

About the Hattiesburg Social Security Hearing Office

Hattiesburg is a Social Security disability hearing office serving claimants in Mississippi. Operating within SSA Region 04, the office has 10 ALJs who preside over disability appeals. With 10 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 48.4%, which is below the national average of 58.3%. A lower aggregate rate does not necessarily indicate stricter standards — it may reflect differences in case demographics, representation quality, or the types of conditions presented at hearings. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 28.8% to 86.3%, a 58-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 6 months, which is notably shorter than the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 226 days. There are currently 1,743 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 174 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 39.6%. A fully favorable decision awards benefits from the claimant's requested onset date, while a partially favorable decision may set a later onset date. Both count toward the overall approval rate.

How to Interpret Hattiesburg Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Hattiesburg, 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 6 months and 226 days average processing time, claimants at Hattiesburg can expect a total timeline of roughly 14 months from hearing request to decision. The faster-than-average processing at this office means cases may move through the system more quickly.

Judges at Hattiesburg have collectively issued 2,471 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 247 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 14 to 342 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Hattiesburg Hearing Office FAQ

What are my chances of approval at Hattiesburg?
The average ALJ approval rate at Hattiesburg is 48.4% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 28.8% to 86.3%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 39.6%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Hattiesburg?
The Hattiesburg office has 10 administrative law judges. Of these, 9 have issued 50 or more decisions in FY 2025. Decision counts range from 14 to 342 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long do disability cases take at Hattiesburg?
The current average wait time at Hattiesburg is 6 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 226 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 14 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 10 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 percentage of approvals at Hattiesburg are fully favorable?
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 Hattiesburg, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 39.6%.
How does Hattiesburg rank among other hearing offices in the state?
Of the 3 hearing offices in Mississippi, Hattiesburg has the lowest approval rate at 48.4%. In terms of wait time, Hattiesburg ranks 2 of 3 (6 months). Visit the Mississippi overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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