Judge Ratings for Albuquerque NM Social Security Hearings (Nov 2024)

The Quality of Albuquerque NM Social Security Hearing Judges

Terrible news if you have a Social Security Disability Hearing in Albuquerque! Albuquerque NM Social Security Hearing Judges have some of the worst case approval ratings in the nation. The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and as you can see from the table below, Albuquerque NM Judges are way below average, namely 41%. Horrible! However, the good news is that none of the Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) have a case approval rate below 30%. It appears that in Albuquerque NM eight of the nine judges are below average, and that’s very bad. If you get one of those eight judges, you’re probably going to have an uphill battle. Read below to see who’s who. Note: we don’t count judges that have less than 50 dispositions in our analysis.

This page is for Albuquerque NM Social Security Hearings, in other words, for people who live in or near Albuquerque, Carlsbad, Clovis, El Paso, Farmington, Gallup, Hobbs, Las Cruces, Las Vegas, Rio Rancho, Roswell, or Santa Fe.

For other locations around New Mexico click on:

• Judge Ratings for Evanston IL
• Judge Ratings for Oak Brook IL

Judge Ratings for Albuquerque NM Social Security Hearings

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Albuquerque NM Social Security Hearing for Disability or SSI scheduled in the Office of Hearing Operations (OHO)? Do you want to know everything you can about the where, why and how of the hearing itself? You’re not alone, most of our clients desperately want to know every detail of their Disability Hearing so that they have the best chance of winning. You might have a hearing in Albuquerque NM if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or near Albuquerque, Carlsbad, Clovis, El Paso, Farmington, Gallup, Hobbs, Las Cruces, Las Vegas, Rio Rancho, Roswell, or Santa Fe. The Albuquerque NM Social Security Hearing office is on Broadway Northeast about three blocks East of the Albuquerque Convention Center and about four blocks West of the Lovelace Medical Center. You can find the name of your judge on a hearing scheduled notice or call the number for the hearing office (at the bottom of this page). Here are all the judges’ statistics and other information that you need, and if you’re looking for a Disability Lawyer serving Albuquerque NM, don’t hesitate to call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.

Judges’ Statistics

The following table is up to date as of November 2024:

Social Security Disability Hearing Tip: Before the Pandemic in 2020, Social Security used to have almost all of its Hearings in person. The claimant, the lawyer, the judge and all of the hearing staff would have to drive to the hearing office, sometimes more than an hour away. Everyone would have to go through security (metal detectors in most places) and claimants/lawyers would have to wait for the hearing, sometimes waiting for hours. Nobody liked it, but it seemed to be a necessary evil. There were video hearings, but claimants and lawyers would have to go to the hearing office unless the lawyer paid for the video hearing setup, which was thousands of dollars! Needless to say, not many lawyers wanted to pay for equipment that sometimes didn’t work. Then the Pandemic happened and SSA was forced to do telephone hearings. Amazingly, it worked! So now almost all hearings are by telephone and evidence is all electronic (E-Files were already in place pre-Pandemic). You still have the right to an in-person hearing, but almost no one exercises that right because in-person hearings are so cumbersome. A Disability Lawyer serving Albuquerque NM, like us, can explain in more detail how the hearing process Impacts your case. Contact us for a free consultation or more information.

Case Approval Rates of Albuquerque NM Social Security Hearing Judges

The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and Albuquerque NM Judges are at 41%. Still, many people have really good experiences, because some of the judges and staff genuinely care about other people. And many have very bad experiences in Albuquerque because it still is Social Security, run by the government, which is a complete and utter mess. The judges there are doing the best they can. Do they get decisions wrong sometimes? Of course, they are human. Only those with very low case approval rates might be called biased.

For example, Administrative Law Judge Michelle Lindsay has a case approval rate of 34%, which is the lowest rate in Albuquerque. That is actually not that low, and probably within reason for a judge that mostly must decide credibility regarding medical disability. 

We can also see from the table that three other Judges are at 38% or below, so there is a significant chance you will draw one of these judges. If you draw a judge with at or below 38% approval rate then you will need a decent case to win, usually with lots of medical evidence and an opinion from a medical expert (like your doctor) that you are disabled. Make sure you get all of your relevant medical records and try to get a supporting letter from your doctor. To win with a judge at or under 38%, if you’re under age 50 you probably have to have a condition that is life-wrecking and stops you from working at all (not just part time) or even doing most things outside of the home. If you are age 50 or over you’ll probably need to have the preceding life-wrecking condition or at least a physical condition that prevents the ability to stand and walk almost totally. In both cases, you may lose if you have sedentary work experience. Click here to get more information about the rules, or a Disability Lawyer serving Albuquerque NM, like us, can give you the information you need. Click here for a free case evaluation.

Where Will My Hearing Be Held?

Most hearings will be held by phone, the judge’s clerk will call your phone and place you in a conference call. The whole hearing will be held via conference call, it’s actually very efficient. If you have a lawyer the evidence is submitted electronically before the hearing.

If you don’t have a lawyer you’ll have to bring your evidence to the hearing office or mail it in. You can request an in-person hearing, but we don’t advise it. If you do have a in-person hearing or need to submit evidence, check the SSA hearing office locator website. The Albuquerque NM Social Security Hearing office is at Suite 200, 555 Broadway NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102. You’ll go through the metal detectors – don’t bring any weapons, even a pocket knife, or they won’t let you in. Then check in with the staff and wait to be called for your hearing. If you need to reach the Albuquerque NM Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (866) 731-3998.

What should I do if I need help with my hearing?

If you do not have a lawyer yet, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) presiding over your case will almost always give you a postponement to try to get a lawyer. These hearings are very difficult without a lawyer, and the ALJs rarely get the evidence they need unless a lawyer is involved. If you need a Disability Lawyer serving Albuquerque NM, no matter what stage your case is in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.