Approval rates
Evaluating a judge's approval rate requires looking at the broader context of their career. Judge Begley has issued 20,212 lifetime decisions, providing a significant data set to observe patterns. While the latest reporting period shows a 55% approval rate, this should be compared against the local office average of 61% and the national average of 58%. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting your specific outcome.
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 Begley'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 decade on the bench, Judge Begley's approval patterns have shown notable shifts. After hovering in the 35% to 44% range for several years, the data indicates a recent upward trend in approvals, reaching 58% in 2025. This recent period reflects a departure from the lower rates observed in the early 2020s. These fluctuations often mirror changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Begley'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 Begley? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Washington hearing office
The Washington (District of Columbia) Hearing Office serves a diverse population across the capital region. This office manages a high volume of cases, with a bench of 6 judges who oversee thousands of hearings annually. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 61%, which provides a benchmark for local outcomes. You can visit the Washington (District of Columbia) Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Washington office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 33% to 57%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence remains the most effective way to prepare.
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.