Judge Ratings for Little Rock AR Social Security Hearings (Nov 2024)

The Quality of Little Rock AR Social Security Hearing Judges

Terrible news if you have a Social Security Disability Hearing in Little Rock! Little Rock AR 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, Little Rock AR Judges are way below average, namely 42%. Horrible! However, the good news is that only one of the Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) has a case approval rate below 30%. If you can call that good news. It appears that in Little Rock AR six of the eight judges are below average, and that’s very bad. If you get one of those six 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 Little Rock AR Social Security Hearings, in other words, for people who live in or near Batesville, Blytheville, Conway, Forrest City, Hot Springs, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Pine Bluff, Searcy, or Sherwood.

For other locations around Arkansas click on:

• Judge Ratings for Fort Smith AR

Judge Ratings for Little Rock AR Social Security Hearings

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Little Rock AR 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 Little Rock AR if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or near Batesville, Blytheville, Conway, Forrest City, Hot Springs, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Pine Bluff, Searcy, or Sherwood. The Little Rock AR Social Security Hearing office is on West Capitol Avenue about eight blocks East of the Capitol Building. 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 Little Rock AR, 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: Getting a lawyer is usually vital for your Social Security Disability hearing. It is so vital, in fact, that in their first hearing judges will often advise unrepresented claimants to get a lawyer. A judge will almost always give an unrepresented person one postponement in order to get a lawyer. Lawyers are paid only if you win, and there is almost never any up-front cost. The exception is an overpayment cases where there won’t be any back pay, so some lawyers will ask for a retainer up front then petition the judge for a fee after the hearing. But in all other cases, a lawyer is only allowed to charge 25% of past due benefits for the first hearing, with a $7,200 cap on the fee. A Disability Lawyer serving Little Rock AR, 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 Little Rock AR Social Security Hearing Judges

The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and Little Rock AR Judges are at 42%. 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 Little Rock 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 Thomas Cheffins has a case approval rate of 23%, which is the lowest rate in Little Rock. That is actually pretty low, and may not be within reason for a judge that disabled people count on to see their pain. We hope that Judge Cheffins isn’t somehow biased against claimants, such as having a personal belief that disabled people should work despite their disability. 

We can also see from the table that three other Judges are at 34% or below, so there is a significant chance you will draw one of these judges. If you draw a judge with at or below 34% 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 34%, 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 Little Rock AR, like us, can give you the information you need. Click here for a free case evaluation from a Disability Lawyer serving Little Rock. 

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 Little Rock AR Social Security Hearing office is at:

2405 Federal Office Building
700 West Capitol Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72201

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 Little Rock AR Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (866) 592-2549.

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 Little Rock AR, no matter what stage your case is in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.

Photo Source: By Daniel Schwen – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7053341