Approval rates
Judge Davis currently holds an approval rate 17 percentage points above the St. Louis Hearing Office average and 13 points above the national benchmark. These statistics are derived from 3,267 lifetime decisions, providing a look at her decision-making history. By comparing these rates to the broader office and state performance, you can better understand the local landscape of your claim. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Davis'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 3 years on the bench, Judge Davis has shown a consistent approach to disability claims. After an approval rate of 76% in 2023, her rate was 68% in 2024 and 73% in 2025. This trend suggests a stable decision-making pattern that remains above regional norms. The recent data reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, indicating that her approach to evaluating medical evidence has remained reliable throughout her tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Davis'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 Davis? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the St Louis hearing office
The St. Louis Hearing Office serves a broad population across Missouri and the surrounding region. With a bench of 6 judges, this office manages a high volume of cases, currently maintaining an office-wide approval rate of 54%. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical records and vocational history. You can visit the St. Louis Hearing Office page for more information on the local roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a randomized workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot request a specific judge. Across the St. Louis bench, lifetime approval rates range from 41% to 71% among the 6 judges currently serving. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your own medical documentation is essential. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.