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District Of Columbia ALJ Statistics

Social Security Disability hearing statistics for 3 hearing offices and 20 administrative law judges in District Of Columbia.

State Approval Rate

63.9%

vs 57.6% national

Hearing Offices

3

in District Of Columbia

ALJs

20

active judges

Avg Wait Time

15 months

vs 8.4 months national

Hearing Offices in District Of Columbia

Office ALJs Approval Rate Wait Time Processing Pending
Natl Adjudication Team 0 N/A N/A 72 days 78
Special Review Cadre 12 66.2% 22 months 680 days 7,794
Washington 8 61.6% 8 months 274 days 6,315

About District Of Columbia Disability Hearings

District Of Columbia has 3 Social Security hearing offices where Administrative Law Judges hear disability appeals. These offices are part of SSA Region 12 and collectively employ 20 ALJs who decided cases in the current fiscal year.

The average approval rate across District Of Columbia hearing offices is 63.9%, which is above the national average of 57.6%. Higher state-level rates can reflect various factors including case demographics, representation patterns, and the mix of judges across the state's offices.

Wait times across District Of Columbia offices range from 8 months at the Washington hearing office to 22 months at the Special Review Cadre hearing office. This 14.0-month gap between the fastest and slowest offices reflects differences in caseload volume, staffing levels, and scheduling capacity.

Across all offices, there are 14,187 cases currently pending in District Of Columbia, averaging approximately 709 pending cases per judge. Click on any hearing office below to see detailed judge-level statistics and individual approval rates.

District Of Columbia Hearing Landscape

District Of Columbia's 3 hearing offices each serve different geographic areas of the state. Case assignment is based on the claimant's residential address, so hearing location and judge assignment depend on where the claimant lives rather than personal preference. All statistics on this page are weighted by individual judge caseloads to accurately reflect the volume of cases processed.

With 3 hearing offices, District Of Columbia provides multiple venues for disability hearings. Office sizes vary from 0 judges at the Natl Adjudication Team hearing office to 12 judges at the Special Review Cadre hearing office. Cases are assigned to offices based on the claimant's residential address, so hearing location is determined by geography rather than preference.

For attorneys practicing disability law in District Of Columbia, understanding the local hearing landscape is an important part of case preparation. The data on this page provides a starting point for evaluating office-level patterns, though individual judge statistics offer more granular insight into decision-making tendencies. Visit individual office pages for judge-level data.

District Of Columbia Disability Hearing FAQ

What is the disability approval rate in District Of Columbia?
The average ALJ approval rate in District Of Columbia is 63.9% for the 12 months ending July 2026. This includes both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions. The national average is 57.6%, putting District Of Columbia above the national benchmark. Office-level rates within the state range from 61.6% to 66.2%.
How many Social Security hearing offices are in District Of Columbia?
District Of Columbia has 3 SSA hearing offices with a total of 20 administrative law judges. The largest office is the Special Review Cadre hearing office with 12 judges, while the Natl Adjudication Team hearing office has 0. Cases are assigned to hearing offices based on the claimant's residential address, and judge assignments within an office are typically made on a rotational basis.
Which hearing office in District Of Columbia has the shortest wait time?
The Washington hearing office currently has the shortest wait time at 8 months. The longest wait is at the Special Review Cadre hearing office at 22 months, a gap of 14.0 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.
How is state data calculated?
With 20 active judges, District Of Columbia processes a significant caseload. State averages are calculated by aggregating data from all hearing offices within the state. 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.
How does District Of Columbia compare to other states?
District Of Columbia is in SSA Region 12. Its average approval rate of 63.9% is above the national average of 57.6%. For a full comparison of approval rates and wait times across all states, visit the states overview page.
What factors influence hearing outcomes in District Of Columbia?
Hearing outcomes in District Of Columbia are influenced by several factors including the strength and completeness of medical evidence, vocational factors such as the claimant's age, education, and work history, the quality of legal representation at the hearing, and individual judge decision-making patterns.

District Of Columbia's above-average approval rate of 63.9% may partly reflect higher representation rates or differences in the types of cases that reach the hearing level in this region.

While all ALJs apply the same federal disability standards, these case-level factors can lead to variation in outcomes across offices and judges.
Can I transfer my hearing to a different office in District Of Columbia?
Cases are assigned to hearing offices based on the claimant's residential address, and judge assignments within an office are typically made on a rotational basis. While transfers between offices are generally not possible based on preference, a change of address that moves you into a different office's service area may result in case reassignment. District Of Columbia has 3 hearing offices, each serving a defined geographic area within the state.

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