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Oklahoma City Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Oklahoma · SSA Region 06

Approval Rate

72.7%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

9 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

314 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

3,245

awaiting hearing

ALJs

17

active judges

Oklahoma City 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
J. Leland Bentley 100% N/A 50% 2 3
Carol K Bowen 100% N/A 100% 2 2
David W Engel 100% N/A 100% 3 4
David R Wurm 100% N/A 75% 4 4
Michael Harris 86.4% 13.6% 79.8% 352 424
Jodi B. Levine 85.7% 14.3% 80.8% 287 341
Sylke Merchan 79.6% 20.4% 73.8% 240 305
Douglas S. Stults 79.6% 20.4% 77.7% 367 473
Steven L Cravens 74.8% 25.2% 71% 262 317
Kenton W Fulton 72% 28% 62.7% 150 174
Kim D. Parrish 69.7% 30.3% 66.4% 396 464
Angelita Hamilton 68.3% 31.7% 64.8% 347 417
Jennie L. McLean 66.7% 33.3% 60% 15 19
Sherry L. Schallner 66.2% 33.8% 62.1% 314 372
Larry D. Shepherd 56.4% 43.6% 52.9% 346 419
Edward L. Thompson 44.3% 55.7% 42.3% 97 116
Michael S Hertzig N/A 100% N/A 2 3

About the Oklahoma City Social Security Hearing Office

The Oklahoma City hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Oklahoma. This office is in SSA Region 06 and currently has 17 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. With 17 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 72.7%, which is above the national average of 58.3%. This higher-than-average rate reflects the combined decision patterns of all judges at this office. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 0% to 100%, a 100-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 9 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 314 days. There are currently 3,245 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 191 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 65.8%. 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 Oklahoma City Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Oklahoma City, 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 9 months and 314 days average processing time, claimants at Oklahoma City can expect a total timeline of roughly 19 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Oklahoma City have collectively issued 3,186 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 187 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 2 to 396 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Oklahoma City Hearing Office FAQ

What are my chances of approval at Oklahoma City?
The average ALJ approval rate at Oklahoma City is 72.7% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 0% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 65.8%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Oklahoma City?
The Oklahoma City office has 17 administrative law judges. Of these, 11 have issued 50 or more decisions in FY 2025. Decision counts range from 2 to 396 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long do disability cases take at Oklahoma City?
The current average wait time at Oklahoma City is 9 months. This is longer than the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 314 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 19 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.
How is office data calculated?
With 17 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. Data originates from SSA public use files and is refreshed as new reports are published throughout the fiscal year.
What percentage of approvals at Oklahoma City are fully favorable?
A fully favorable decision means the claimant is awarded benefits starting from the onset date they originally claimed. A partially favorable decision also awards benefits, but may set a later onset date than requested. Both types count toward the overall approval rate. The distinction is important because onset date determines how far back retroactive benefits extend. At Oklahoma City, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 65.8%.
How does Oklahoma City rank among other hearing offices in the state?
Of the 3 hearing offices in Oklahoma, Oklahoma City has the highest approval rate at 72.7%. In terms of wait time, Oklahoma City ranks 3 of 3 (9 months). Visit the Oklahoma overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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