Approval rates
Judge Barker has issued 4,223 lifetime decisions with an overall approval rate of 51%. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 45%, which is 2 percentage points higher than the NHC Baltimore office average, but 7 points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding his bench history. 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 Barker'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 his 9-year tenure, Judge Barker has seen his approval rate fluctuate. After an initial period of high approvals, the rate stabilized near 55% during 2023 and 2024 before shifting to 45% in the most recent reporting period. This recent trend indicates a more conservative approach to case outcomes compared to his earlier years on the bench. Understanding this shift is important, as it suggests that the quality and presentation of your medical evidence have become increasingly critical for a favorable outcome.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Barker'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.
About the NHC Baltimore hearing office
The NHC Baltimore Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Maryland and the surrounding region. It is part of a national network of offices tasked with managing a high volume of disability appeals. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 49%, reflecting the broader environment in which Judge Barker operates. You can visit the NHC Baltimore Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. At the NHC Baltimore office, the bench includes 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 46% to 81%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is vital to focus on the strength of your own medical documentation. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.