Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge BaileySmith maintains a lifetime approval rate of 38%, which you can evaluate against the Richmond office's latest rate of 47% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 17,386 lifetime decisions, offering a stable view of historical trends. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge BaileySmith's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Over a 9-year tenure, Judge BaileySmith has seen fluctuations in approval rates, ranging from a high of 47% in 2016 to more recent variations. The data shows a trend that has shifted over time, with the latest reporting period reflecting a departure from earlier years. Understanding these patterns helps you gauge the judicial environment of the Richmond office. These trends are based on 17,386 lifetime decisions and provide a snapshot of how the judge has approached cases throughout their career.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge BaileySmith's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge BaileySmith? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Richmond hearing office
The Richmond (Virginia) Hearing Office serves a broad population in the region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 47%. You should expect a formal process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the Richmond (Virginia) Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge BaileySmith is essentially random. Across the Richmond office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 18% to 57%. This variance highlights that the specific judge you draw can differ significantly in their approach. You can find more information on the Richmond (Virginia) Hearing Office page.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.