Approval rates
Comparing a judge's lifetime performance to current office and national benchmarks provides a clearer picture of their historical decision-making. While the national latest approval rate currently stands at 58%, Judge Fields has maintained a lifetime rate of 38% over a significant docket. These figures are based on extensive data, though it is important to remember that 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 Fields'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 a 10-year tenure, the decision pattern for Judge Fields has shown notable shifts. After reaching a peak approval rate of 47% in 2017, the annual approval rate experienced a decline, reaching a low of 24% in 2023. Recent data from 2025 shows an approval rate of 33%. These fluctuations often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented, rather than a fixed personal policy.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Fields'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 Fields? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the West Des Moines hearing office
The West Des Moines Hearing Office serves a broad population across the region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an active docket that requires consistent preparation. Understanding the local office environment is a key component of your hearing strategy. You can visit the West Des Moines Hearing Office page for more information on the local roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the West Des Moines Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 38% to 70%. Because this variance exists, it is helpful to understand the general environment of your assigned office. You can review the office-wide trends to better understand the local hearing landscape.
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.