Approval rates
Comparing approval rates provides context on how a judge's decisions align with broader office, state, and national trends over the same 12-month window. Judge Baum's 70% approval rate is based on 402 decisions. These figures are compared against the Reno office, Nevada state, and national averages to show relative performance. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Baum'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
Since January 2016, Judge Baum has issued 4,150 decisions on record, with an overall approval rate of 63%. The yearly trend shows fluctuations, with approval rates rising to 72% in 2024 and 2025 before reaching 69% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. The most recent 12 months sit above the record since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Baum'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 Reno hearing office
The Reno hearing office is the most recent office on record for Judge Baum as of July 2026. There are 7 judges whose most recent office on record is this one. Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, the office maintained an approval rate of 68%.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Reno
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Among the 3 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file, approval rates range from 59% to 70% over the 12-month window. There are 7 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, and 3 of them decided cases here in SSA's latest file.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Baum's 70%. No other judge in Nevada is within 5 points, so these come from SSA's San Francisco region.
- 70% Approval rate, last 12 months Serena S. Hong
- 71% Approval rate, last 12 months David M. Blume
- 69% Approval rate, last 12 months Robin Rosenbluth
- 69% Approval rate, last 12 months Mark Yasutomi
- 69% Approval rate, last 12 months Michael B. Richardson
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Baum and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change 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.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Judge Baum's 70% approval rate sits at the top of the range for the 3 judges who decided cases at the Reno office in SSA's latest file, which spans from 59% to 70%. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this judge's bench.
Judge Baum's approval rate has fluctuated over the years, with an overall rate of 63% on 4,150 decisions since 2016. The rate reached 72% in 2024 and 2025, and the most recent 12 months show a 70% approval rate. An attorney can help you understand how these patterns may relate to your case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses a random workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to judges at the hearing office. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of your assigned judge.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. The strength of your medical evidence and your work history are the primary factors in a disability decision. An attorney can help you gather the necessary evidence to present your strongest case.
