Norfolk Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Virginia · SSA Region 03
Approval Rate
50.7%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
10 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
364 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,711
awaiting hearing
ALJs
6
active judges
Norfolk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Pflugrath | 60% | 40% | 52% | 275 | 365 |
| Jeffrey M Jordan | 52.3% | 47.7% | 37.7% | 310 | 385 |
| Carol Matula | 51.2% | 48.8% | 35.5% | 332 | 425 |
| Chad Gendreau | 50.3% | 49.7% | 42.5% | 374 | 465 |
| Monica L Flynn | 49.7% | 50.3% | 45.7% | 151 | 193 |
| Maryann S Bright | 42.5% | 57.5% | 28.6% | 346 | 415 |
About the Norfolk Social Security Hearing Office
The Norfolk hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Virginia. This office is in SSA Region 03 and currently has 6 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals.
The office's average approval rate is 50.7%, which is below the national average of 58.3%. Approval rates are influenced by many factors including case mix, quality of representation, and individual judge decision-making patterns. Judge approval rates at this office range from 42.5% to 60%, showing a moderate degree of variation across the bench.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 10 months, which is longer than the national average of 8 months. Longer wait times can reflect higher caseload volume relative to available judges. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 364 days. There are currently 1,711 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 285 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 40.3%. 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 Norfolk Hearing Office Data
Norfolk shows a moderate degree of variation across its bench, which is common among offices of this size. While all judges apply the same federal disability standards, differences in how they weigh medical evidence, vocational factors, and hearing testimony may contribute to varying outcomes.
With an average wait time of 10 months and 364 days average processing time, claimants at Norfolk can expect a total timeline of roughly 22 months from hearing request to decision. This longer-than-average wait underscores the importance of having complete medical evidence ready well before the hearing date.
Judges at Norfolk have collectively issued 1,788 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 298 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 151 to 374 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Norfolk Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at Norfolk?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 42.5% to 60%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 40.3%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Norfolk?
How long do disability cases take at Norfolk?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 22 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.