Approval rates
The approval rate for Joseph Booth III is calculated from 21,246 lifetime decisions, providing a data set for understanding his historical decision-making. While his latest approval rate of 59% shows recent activity, it remains 17 points below the current Greensboro office average of 66%. Comparing these figures helps you understand the environment of your upcoming hearing. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
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 Booth III'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 years on the bench, Joseph Booth III has seen his approval rates fluctuate, showing a shift from the 39% to 43% range in his early years to higher rates in recent periods. The latest data indicates a 59% approval rate, suggesting a trend toward more frequent allowances compared to his career-long average. This evolution may reflect changes in the types of cases heard or shifts in evidentiary standards. The recent period reflects a continuation of this more active approval pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Booth III'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 Booth III? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Greensboro hearing office
The Greensboro Hearing Office serves you across North Carolina, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 66%, reflecting the regional landscape of disability claims. You can expect a formal process focused on medical documentation and vocational testimony. See the Greensboro Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the Greensboro office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 49% to 73%. While these rates vary, the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent regardless of who presides over your hearing. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.