Approval rates
Judge Crovella’s approval rate is calculated based on 10,450 lifetime decisions. Her latest approval rate is 9 percentage points below the Richmond office average and 20 points below the national average. These comparisons provide context for the hearing environment, though they do not dictate the outcome of your individual case. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predictions for your 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 Crovella'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 her 6 years on the bench, Judge Crovella has maintained a consistent approach to disability adjudication. Her approval rate peaked early in her tenure at 48% in 2017 before trending toward a more stable range between 34% and 39% in recent years. This pattern reflects a steady application of Social Security Administration guidelines over time. The latest period continues this established decision-making pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Crovella'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 Crovella? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Richmond hearing office
The Richmond Hearing Office serves a broad population across Virginia, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 47% in the latest reporting period. You can expect a formal process focused on medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can see the Richmond 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 a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Richmond office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 18% to 57%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is critical. You can find more information on the Richmond 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.