Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to regional and national benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Kelly Davis maintains a 69% lifetime approval rate, which stands in contrast to the 62% office average and 58% national average. This data is derived from 24,809 lifetime decisions. 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 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 a decade on the bench, the approval patterns for Kelly Davis have remained stable. While yearly fluctuations occurred—ranging from a low of 64% in 2020 to a high of 74% in 2018—you will find that their rate consistently exceeds the national norm. The most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 69%, aligning closely with their long-term average. This consistency reflects a steady approach to evaluating your medical documentation.
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 Raleigh hearing office
The Raleigh Hearing Office serves you and other claimants throughout North Carolina, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 62%, reflecting regional trends in disability adjudication. When you appear here, be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Raleigh Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Raleigh Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 40% to 69%. Because of this variance, understanding the general landscape of the office is helpful, even though you cannot choose your judge. You can find more information on the Raleigh 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.