Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Draper has maintained a consistent presence on the bench over 10 years. While her latest approval rate of 43% is lower than the national average of 58%, aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than 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 Draper'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 10-year tenure, Judge Draper has seen fluctuations in her approval patterns. After a period of lower approval rates around 2021, the data shows a notable increase in 2024, followed by a 43% rate in the most recent reporting period. This trend suggests that the judge's decision-making process is responsive to the evidence presented in her current case mix. These shifts highlight why thorough preparation of your medical records is essential for your hearing.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Draper'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 Draper? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Springfield MO hearing office
The Springfield MO Hearing Office serves a wide population across Missouri, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a consistent environment focused on processing cases. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your vocational and medical history. You can visit the Springfield MO Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. The Springfield MO Hearing Office features a bench with lifetime approval rates ranging from 27% to 48%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focusing on the strength of your own medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare for your hearing.
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.