Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at the same timeframes to ensure accuracy. While your judge's overall approval rate since 2017 is 61%, recent data shows a shift in decision patterns. The latest-period approval rate of 84% stands in contrast to the broader office, state, and national averages of 63%, 59%, and 58% respectively. These figures are based on a significant docket of 2,837 decisions on record since 2017. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Blount'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
The approval rate for NaKeisha Blount has shown a notable upward trend in recent years. After a period of relative stability between 2018 and 2021, the approval rate began to climb, reaching 84% in the most recent fiscal year to date. This latest-period performance is higher than the 61% average observed across the 2,837 decisions on record since 2017. This recent uptick may reflect changes in case mix or evidence quality.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Blount'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 Washington hearing office
NaKeisha Blount's most recent office on record is the Washington hearing office, which serves claimants in the District of Columbia and surrounding areas. This office maintains a bench of 33 judges, with an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 63%. You can see the Washington hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Washington
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 33 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with 14 of them having decided cases in the latest SSA file. Approval rates among this bench vary widely, ranging from 29% to 85% on their records since 2016. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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
Judge Blount's latest-period approval rate of 84% is 21 percentage points higher than the Washington office's latest-period average of 63%. Because case assignment is random, an attorney can help you understand how to present your evidence effectively for this specific judge.
Yes, the approval rate has trended upward. While the average since 2017 is 61%, the most recent fiscal year to date shows an approval rate of 84%. An attorney can help you evaluate how these trends might relate to your specific medical evidence.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where an ALJ reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You may be questioned by the judge or a vocational expert about your ability to perform work. An attorney can help you prepare for these questions and organize your medical evidence.
An approval rate is a probability cloud based on past decisions, not a guarantee of how your specific case will be decided. Your outcome depends primarily on the strength of your medical evidence and your ability to prove disability under SSA rules. An attorney can help you build a strong case to present at your hearing.
