Official SSA Data

Metairie Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Louisiana · SSA Region 06

Approval Rate

N/A

Wait Time

8 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

280 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

1,034

awaiting hearing

ALJs

10

active judges

Metairie 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
Volz III. 100% N/A 100% 1 1
Rebecca B Sartor 66.7% 33.3% 33.3% 3 3
Michael S Hertzig 63.6% 36.4% 55.9% 118 155
Holly Hansen 62% 38% 43.8% 292 349
Christopher H Juge 60% 40% 52.8% 250 310
Karen Wiedemann 56.5% 43.5% 39.4% 246 288
Richard M Exnicios 56.4% 43.6% 45.1% 266 336
David Benedict 48.4% 51.6% 39.9% 281 349
Ralph F Shilling N/A N/A N/A N/A 2
David R Wurm N/A N/A N/A N/A 1

About the Metairie Social Security Hearing Office

Claimants in the Metairie service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in Louisiana. The office is assigned to SSA Region 06 and has 10 active ALJs. 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 current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 8 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 280 days. There are currently 1,034 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 103 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 51.3%. 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 Metairie Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Metairie, 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 8 months and 280 days average processing time, claimants at Metairie can expect a total timeline of roughly 17 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Metairie have collectively issued 1,457 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 146 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 292 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Metairie Hearing Office FAQ

What is the approval rate at Metairie?
The average ALJ approval rate at Metairie is not available for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 48.4% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 51.3%.
Which judges hear cases at Metairie?
The Metairie office has 10 administrative law judges. Of these, 6 have issued 50 or more decisions in FY 2025. Decision counts range from 1 to 292 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long is the wait time at Metairie?
The current average wait time at Metairie is 8 months. This is comparable to the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 280 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 17 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 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. 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 Metairie?
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 Metairie, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 51.3%.
How does Metairie compare to other offices in the state?
Of the 3 hearing offices in Louisiana, Metairie ranks 0 of 3 with an approval rate of N/A. In terms of wait time, Metairie ranks 4 of 4 (8 months). Visit the Louisiana overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.