Approval rates
Judge Barber has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 45% over a decade of service. In the most recent reporting period, the judge recorded an approval rate of 38%, which is 11 percentage points below the current Kingsport office average and 13 points below the national average. These figures are derived from a docket of 17,041 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your 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 Barber'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Barber has seen fluctuations in approval rates, peaking at 60% in 2018 before trending toward more recent levels. The latest period shows an approval rate of 38%, reflecting a continuation of the lower-range patterns observed in recent years. This trend suggests that the judge maintains a consistent approach to evaluating evidence and disability criteria. These patterns help you understand the judicial environment, though your case remains unique.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Barber'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 Barber? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Kingsport hearing office
The Kingsport Hearing Office serves a broad region in Tennessee, managing a high volume of SSDI claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 56%, which provides a local benchmark for your hearing process. You can expect a formal environment focused on the thorough review of your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can see the Kingsport Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Barber is essentially random. Across the Kingsport office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 45% to 77%. While these variances exist, the fundamental requirements for proving disability remain consistent regardless of the judge assigned to your hearing. You can find more information on the office's general trends on the 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.