Approval rates
Comparing a judge's history to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Dummer maintains a lifetime approval rate of 57%, measured against the latest office-wide average of 51% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from 19,604 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 Dummer'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Dummer has seen her approval rate shift. While her lifetime average is 57%, her recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 82%, reflecting a sharp upward trend in favorable outcomes compared to earlier years. This recent activity diverges from her long-term baseline, providing insight into how she currently approaches evidence. These patterns are useful for understanding the judge's approach to your case.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Dummer'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 Dummer? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Nhc Falls Church hearing office
The NHC Falls Church hearing office serves claimants throughout Virginia and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of judges who manage a high volume of disability appeals annually. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 51%, which serves as a baseline for the local jurisdiction. You can visit the NHC Falls Church Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the NHC Falls Church office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 48% to 69%. Because assignment is random, you may be scheduled before any of the judges at this location. Guidance remains consistent regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
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.