Approval rates
Judge Brown maintains a lifetime approval rate of 39% based on 15,979 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 37%, which is 19 percentage points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical view of his bench over nine years of service. 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 Brown'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 nine-year tenure, Judge Brown has presided over 15,979 decisions. His approval rate has seen fluctuations, peaking at 46% in 2022 before settling to 36% in the most recent 2025 data. This pattern shows a period of relative stability followed by recent shifts in outcomes. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, which is a common observation in long-term judicial dockets.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Brown'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 Brown? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Charleston WV hearing office
The Charleston WV Hearing Office serves you throughout West Virginia and the surrounding region. As one of the primary hubs for SSDI hearings in the state, the office manages a high volume of cases with an office-wide latest approval rate of 59%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on your medical and vocational evidence. You can visit the Charleston WV Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Charleston WV Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Brown is essentially random. Across the office's bench of 6 judges, lifetime approval rates range from 39% to 79%. This variance highlights why the specific judge assigned to your case is a significant factor in the hearing process. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent 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.