Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to look at how a judge's history compares to broader trends. Judge Deen's 71% lifetime approval rate is currently 1 percentage point above the Chattanooga Hearing Office average and significantly higher than the state and national averages of 58%. This data is drawn from 1,523 lifetime decisions, providing a stable look at his judicial record. 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 Deen Jr.'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 1 year on the bench, Judge Deen has maintained a consistent approach to disability adjudication. With 1,523 total decisions, his record shows a steady pattern of approval that aligns closely with the current office-wide performance. This stability suggests that his decision-making process is well-established within the Social Security Administration framework. The data reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, indicating a predictable environment for those presenting well-documented claims.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Deen Jr.'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 Deen Jr.? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Chattanooga hearing office
The Chattanooga Hearing Office serves a wide population across Tennessee, managing a high volume of SSDI claims. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 70%, reflecting the regional standards for evidence and medical documentation. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on the specific medical and vocational evidence presented in your files. You can see the Chattanooga 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. Across the Chattanooga Hearing Office, the bench includes 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 40% to 75%. While these variations exist, the fundamental requirements for proving disability remain consistent across the entire office. You can find more information on the Chattanooga 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.