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St Louis Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Missouri · SSA Region 07

Approval Rate

54.5%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

7 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

258 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

3,275

awaiting hearing

ALJs

18

active judges

St Louis 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 Wallis 83.9% 16.1% 78.5% 316 379
Bradley Hanan 74.6% 25.4% 69.2% 370 434
Alaina Davis 71.1% 28.9% 66% 353 400
Nathaniel Plucker 63.3% 36.7% 51.1% 139 189
Richard Hopkins 59.5% 40.5% 47.3% 74 82
Henry Dewoskin 55.5% 44.5% 46.4% 308 366
Lori Imsland 53% 47% 41.8% 330 405
Stephen M Hanekamp 52.3% 47.7% 43.6% 346 429
Chandreka Allen 51.3% 48.7% 39.9% 263 314
John R Price 50.4% 49.6% 43.2% 474 544
Gerardo R Pico 50% 50% 50% 2 2
Koren Mueller 42.5% 57.5% 35.8% 106 129
Robert V Luetkenhaus 36.8% 63.2% 30.4% 359 444
Katherine Jecklin 35.6% 64.4% 25.8% 267 309
Shreese M Wilson 33.3% 66.7% 33.3% 6 9
Lisa Leslie 30.7% 69.3% 19.9% 326 401
Toni Neal 23.8% 76.2% 19% 21 25
Gerald Meyr N/A 100% N/A 2 2

About the St Louis Social Security Hearing Office

The Social Security Administration operates the St Louis hearing office in Missouri as part of its Office of Hearings Operations. Located in SSA Region 07, 18 Administrative Law Judges conduct disability hearings at this location. With 18 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 54.5%, which is near the national average of 58.3%. This figure combines both fully favorable and partially favorable outcomes from all judges at the office. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 0% to 83.9%, a 84-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 258 days. There are currently 3,275 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 182 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 41.2%. 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 St Louis Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at St Louis, 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 258 days average processing time, claimants at St Louis can expect a total timeline of roughly 16 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at St Louis have collectively issued 4,062 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 226 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 2 to 474 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

St Louis Hearing Office FAQ

What is the approval rate at St Louis?
The average ALJ approval rate at St Louis is 54.5% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 0% to 83.9%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 41.2%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Which judges hear cases at St Louis?
The St Louis office has 18 administrative law judges. Of these, 14 have issued 50 or more decisions in FY 2025. Decision counts range from 2 to 474 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long is the wait time at St Louis?
The current average wait time at St Louis is 7 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 258 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 16 months. Wait time averages reflect the most recently reported SSA data and will evolve as new disposition reports are released.
How is office data calculated?
With 18 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. Source data comes from the Social Security Administration's public reporting on ALJ decisions, which we incorporate as updates are released.
What is the fully favorable rate at St Louis?
"Fully favorable" means the claimant receives benefits effective from their originally claimed onset date. "Partially favorable" also grants benefits but may start them from a later date. Both decisions are counted as approvals in the statistics. The onset date difference can significantly affect the total retroactive benefit amount. At St Louis, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 41.2%.
How does St Louis compare to other offices in the state?
Of the 5 hearing offices in Missouri, St Louis ranks 2 of 5 with an approval rate of 54.5%. In terms of wait time, St Louis ranks 4 of 5 (7 months). Visit the Missouri overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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