Approval rates
The data below compares S. A. Bryant's performance against broader benchmarks to provide context for your upcoming hearing. We look at the 85% lifetime approval rate alongside the 33% to 85% range observed across the Washington office's bench. Latest-period figures show S. A. Bryant approving cases at a rate 25 points higher than the office average. 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 Bryant'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
S. A. Bryant has issued 1,082 decisions since 2023. The yearly trend shows a steady pattern of high approval rates, moving from 80% in 2023 to 88% in the most recent reporting period. This latest performance represents a slight increase over the lifetime average, suggesting a consistent approach to evaluating evidence. These trends help illustrate how S. A. Bryant has historically managed the caseload, though every case remains unique.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bryant'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.
Reading this because a claim was denied? Decode the letter — what the sentence means, what to file, and by when.
About the Washington hearing office
The Washington hearing office serves you throughout the District of Columbia and surrounding areas. The office features a diverse bench of 19 judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. With an office-wide latest approval rate of 63%, the environment requires thorough preparation of your medical and vocational evidence. You can see the Washington 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. There are 19 judges on record at this office since 2016, 14 of whom reported in SSA's latest period. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 33% to 85% on lifetime records. 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
S. A. Bryant's latest-period approval rate of 88% is 25 points higher than the Washington office's latest-period average of 63%. While this indicates a higher rate of favorable decisions recently, an attorney can help you ensure your specific medical evidence is presented effectively for any judge.
The approval rate has remained steady and high, trending from 80% in 2023 to 88% in the most recent period. This consistency provides a stable baseline for understanding the decision-making pattern. An attorney can help you evaluate how these trends might relate to your specific disability claim.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The SSA assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency, making the assignment process random. Because you cannot select your judge, working with an attorney is the best way to prepare for the specific requirements of your hearing.
An 85% lifetime approval rate reflects past decisions, but it is not a guarantee of a favorable outcome in your specific case. Your success depends primarily on the quality of the medical evidence you provide. An attorney can help you build a strong case that meets the necessary criteria for approval.