Social Security has updated the ALJ disposition data for fiscal year 2010 on its website. This database shows how many cases each judge has decided, and how many were granted and how many were denied. The data now runs through April 30, 2010. So you get a better picture of each judge's recent record.

This is great stuff for those of us in this practice area, but it should be taken with a grain of salt. You can still win your disability claim with a judge who denies a lot of cases, and you can still lose with a judge who grants a lot of cases. The merits of your claim and the medical evidence demonstrating disability remain the most important factors in the decision.

As I looked at the names of the judges in the database, I noticed that the name of the 11 percent ALJ was not there. Perhaps he retired. That's good news for claimants with hearings at the Orlando, Florida hearing office.