Approval rates
Judge Barnes maintains a lifetime approval rate of 67% based on 24,125 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 80%, which is 9 percentage points higher than the national average and 11 points above the state average. These figures provide a statistical look at his long-term performance, though they do not account for the unique medical evidence in your specific file.
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 Barnes'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 10-year career, Judge Barnes has shown a dynamic trend in his approval rates. After a period of decline between 2016 and 2021, his approval rates have trended upward, culminating in an 80% approval rate during the latest reporting period. This shift reflects a responsiveness to evolving case evidence or changes in administrative guidance.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Barnes'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 Barnes? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Dayton hearing office
The Dayton Hearing Office serves a significant population across Ohio, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 70%. You can visit the Dayton Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Across the Dayton Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates for the 6 ALJs range from 44% to 68%. Because you cannot choose your judge, you should focus on the strength of your medical evidence regardless of who presides over your hearing.
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.