Approval rates
Judge Cheney's approval rate is measured against the broader context of the Baltimore Hearing Office and national standards. While the office maintains a recent approval rate of 66%, Judge Cheney's lifetime performance reflects a distinct pattern based on 1,445 total decisions. These figures provide a statistical baseline for your expectations. 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 Cheney'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 2 years on the bench, Judge Cheney has maintained a consistent approach to case evaluation. His approval rate moved from 38% in 2016 to 31% in 2017. This consistency across 1,445 decisions suggests a stable framework for how evidence is weighed in his courtroom. The recent data indicates a continuation of this established pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Cheney'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 Cheney? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Baltimore hearing office
The Baltimore Hearing Office serves a large population across Maryland, managing a high volume of SSDI claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 66%, which is higher than both the state and national averages. You should expect a rigorous review process focused on detailed medical documentation. You can see the Baltimore Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Cheney is essentially random. Across the Baltimore bench, lifetime approval rates vary significantly, ranging from 31% to 81%. This diversity highlights why your specific medical evidence remains the most important factor in your claim. You can view the full roster of judges on the Baltimore 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.