Approval rates
Understanding how your judge compares to their peers at the Charleston SC hearing office provides helpful context for your upcoming hearing. With 3,074 lifetime decisions on record, the data for Ethan A. Chase offers a stable view of his decision history. While the office-wide lifetime approval rates for the 15 judges on record range from 17% to 87%, your individual outcome depends primarily on the medical evidence you present. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Chase. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 26, 2025. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Chase'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, the approval rate for Ethan A. Chase has remained relatively steady, showing a consistent approach to the cases assigned to his docket. While yearly fluctuations occur, the 53% lifetime approval rate reflects a balanced perspective on disability claims. This consistency allows for a clearer understanding of what to expect during your hearing.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Chase'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 Charleston SC hearing office
The Charleston SC hearing office serves you throughout the region, managing a diverse caseload of disability applications. With 15 judges on record, this office operates under standard Office of Hearings Operations procedures to ensure each case is reviewed thoroughly. You can expect a formal process where medical documentation and testimony are the primary drivers of the final decision.
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. There are 15 judges on record at this office since 2016. Because approval rates across the bench vary from 17% to 87%, it is natural to look into the tendencies of the judge assigned to your case.
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
Ethan A. Chase has a lifetime approval rate of 53% across 3,074 decisions. This sits within the broader office range of 17% to 87% for the 15 judges on record at this office. An attorney can help you understand how to present your case effectively regardless of which judge is assigned.
The approval rate for Ethan A. Chase has remained steady throughout the data window starting in 2016. While there are minor yearly variations, the overall pattern suggests a consistent approach to case evaluation. An attorney can help you prepare for this judge's specific bench.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases randomly to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of the judge assigned to your hearing.
A hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where the judge reviews your medical evidence and hears testimony. You will likely be asked questions about your work history and how your impairments limit your daily activities. An attorney can help you prepare for this process to ensure your evidence is presented clearly.
A judge's lifetime approval rate is a reflection of past decisions, not a prediction of your specific outcome. Your case's success depends on the quality of your medical evidence and how well you demonstrate your disability under SSA guidelines. An attorney can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your claim before your hearing.