Approval rates
Judge Barlow maintains a lifetime approval rate of 58% based on 17,499 lifetime decisions. This rate is 4 points higher than the latest Jacksonville Hearing Office average of 54% and matches the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the judge's 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 Barlow'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 7-year tenure, your judge's approval rate has shown an upward trend. While the rate remained between 51% and 56% from 2016 to 2020, recent years have seen an increase, reaching 76% in 2022. This pattern reflects the judge's evolving approach to evidence evaluation.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Barlow'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 Barlow? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Jacksonville hearing office
The Jacksonville Hearing Office serves a large population across Florida, managing a high volume of SSDI claims. The office operates with a bench of 6 judges who handle diverse medical and vocational evidence. You can expect a formal environment focused on the specific criteria of the Social Security Act. You can see the Jacksonville Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the Jacksonville Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 38% to 70%. This variance highlights why understanding the bench is important for your strategy. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Jacksonville 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.