Approval rates
Judge Eastham's lifetime approval rate of 39% is calculated from 12,809 lifetime decisions. Compared to the most recent reporting period, his approval rate differs from the Louisville Hearing Office average of 54% and the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases have been decided in his courtroom over the last 6 years. These 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 Eastham'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 6 years on the bench, Judge Eastham's approval rate has fluctuated. After an initial period in 2018 with a 54% approval rate, the data shows a shift in 2019 to 32%, followed by a climb to 43% by 2022. These trends are based on 12,809 lifetime decisions across 14 different hearing offices. The recent uptick in the latest reporting period reflects changes in the types of cases or the evidence presented in his courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Eastham'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 Eastham? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Louisville hearing office
The Louisville Hearing Office serves a significant population across Kentucky, managing a high volume of disability claims with a team of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 54%, reflecting regional trends in SSDI adjudication. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Louisville 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. Within the Louisville Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 39% to 57%. While Judge Eastham's rate is at the lower end of this spectrum, the hearing process remains standardized 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.