Approval rates
Judge Daum maintains a lifetime approval rate of 57%, a figure derived from 4,381 lifetime decisions during her tenure. When compared to the latest reporting period, her approval rate sits 14 percentage points below the Seven Fields office average of 71%, yet remains 2 points above the state average of 55%. These metrics provide a statistical baseline for her courtroom activity. 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 Daum'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 4 years on the bench, Judge Daum has presided over a significant volume of cases, with her annual approval rates showing notable variance. After an initial 53% approval rate in 2016, her decisions peaked at 63% in 2017 before trending toward 57% in 2018 and 29% in 2019. These patterns reflect the changing nature of the cases heard in her courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Daum'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 Daum? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Seven Fields hearing office
The Seven Fields Hearing Office serves a broad region in Pennsylvania, managing a high volume of disability claims through a team of 6 administrative law judges. With an office-wide latest approval rate of 71%, this location is a central hub for regional SSDI adjudication. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Seven Fields 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the Seven Fields Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 54% to 71%. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the hearing room, your legal strategy should be tailored to the specific requirements of your claim. You can learn more about the office's operations on the Seven Fields 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.