Approval rates
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Judge Cavadi's 52% approval rate is measured against the Greensboro office's 65%, the state's 65%, and the national average of 58%. These figures reflect recent trends in the Greensboro office.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Cavadi'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
Since 2016, Judge Cavadi has issued 3,902 decisions on record. The yearly approval rate has fluctuated, reaching a high of 69% in 2019. The most recent 12 months sit below the 59% approval rate recorded since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Cavadi'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.
About the Greensboro hearing office
As of July 2026, Greensboro is the most recent office on record for 16 judges, with 8 of those judges having decided cases in the latest SSA file. The office maintained a 65% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Greensboro
The 8 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file range from 51% to 84% on their 12-month approval rates. There are 16 judges whose most recent office on record is Greensboro, and 8 of them decided cases here in SSA's latest file.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Cavadi's 52%. All five last decided cases in North Carolina.
- 52% Approval rate, last 12 months Paul Goodson
- 51% Approval rate, last 12 months Nancy McCoy
- 51% Approval rate, last 12 months Scott C. Firestone
- 55% Approval rate, last 12 months Teresa L. Hoskins-Hart
- 49% Approval rate, last 12 months James E. Williams
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Cavadi and the three closest side by side →
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
Judge Cavadi's 52% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, sits within the 51% to 84% range of the 8 judges who decided cases at the Greensboro office in the latest SSA file. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this hearing office.
Judge Cavadi has a 59% approval rate across 3,902 decisions on record since 2016. The rate has varied annually, and the most recent 12-month approval rate of 52% is lower than the overall record since 2016. A qualified attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm. Your best approach is to focus on the strength of your medical evidence with the help of an attorney.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your case will be decided based on the evidence you provide and how it meets the legal definition of disability. An attorney can help you gather the necessary documentation to present your strongest case.
