Approval rates
Judge Bowling's approval rate is evaluated against the latest performance metrics from the Lexington Hearing Office and national standards. While his lifetime approval rate stands at 36%, recent reporting shows a 38% approval rate, which remains lower than the 52% office average and the 58% national average. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 17,192 lifetime decisions, providing a stable look at historical trends. 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 Bowling'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 Bowling has presided over 17,192 lifetime decisions. His yearly approval trend has remained relatively steady, fluctuating between a low of 26% in 2016 and a high of 40% in 2021. The most recent data shows an approval rate of 38%, which is consistent with his long-term performance. This pattern suggests a stable approach to case evaluation, where the focus remains on the specific evidence presented in your file.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bowling'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 Bowling? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Lexington hearing office
The Lexington (Kentucky) Hearing Office serves a broad population across the region, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 52%, reflecting the local environment for SSDI hearings. You can expect a formal process focused on detailed medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can see the Lexington (Kentucky) Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the Lexington Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates for the bench range from 36% to 54%. Because each judge has a unique approach to evaluating medical evidence, your preparation should be tailored to the specific requirements of the hearing process. You can view the full roster of judges at the Lexington (Kentucky) 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.