Approval rates
When evaluating your hearing prospects, it is helpful to look at how Judge Boorady's approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. Her lifetime approval rate of 40% is measured against the latest Columbia MO office average of 58% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 17,588 lifetime decisions, providing a view of her historical decision-making patterns. 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 Boorady'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 her 8 years on the bench, Judge Boorady has maintained a consistent approach to disability claims. Her yearly approval trends show fluctuations, starting at 44% in 2016 and reaching 32% in 2023. This pattern reflects a methodical evaluation process. The recent data shows a continuation of this long-term trend, emphasizing the importance of thorough documentation in your case.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Boorady'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 Boorady? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Columbia MO hearing office
The Columbia MO Hearing Office serves you and other applicants across Missouri as part of a regional network processing disability appeals. This office manages a diverse caseload with a bench of 5 judges, maintaining an office-wide approval rate that reflects the regional standard. You can expect a formal process focused on the medical and vocational evidence presented in your file. You can visit the Columbia MO Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Columbia MO office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 40% to 67%. Because each judge has a unique approach to evaluating evidence, understanding the office-wide environment is useful for your preparation. You can find more information on the Columbia MO 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.