Approval rates
Judge Farnes has maintained a high approval rate throughout her tenure, consistently outperforming state and national benchmarks. In the most recent reporting period, her 81% approval rate sits higher than the 66% office average and the 58% national average. This data is derived from 18,903 lifetime decisions, providing a robust sample size for understanding her historical decision-making. 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 Farnes'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 Farnes has shown a steady and generally high approval trend. While your yearly rates have fluctuated between 72% and 83%, the most recent data confirms she remains at the higher end of the spectrum compared to her peers. This consistency suggests a stable approach to evaluating medical evidence and vocational testimony. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Farnes'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 Farnes? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Baltimore hearing office
The Baltimore Hearing Office serves you across Maryland, managing a high volume of cases typical of a major metropolitan hub. With 6 judges on the bench, the office currently records an average approval rate of 66%. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and work history. You can see the Baltimore 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 Baltimore Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 46% to 81%. This variance highlights why understanding the local bench is helpful, even though the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent. You can find more information on the Baltimore 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.