Approval rates
Comparing approval rates provides context for how a judge's decisions align with broader trends. Nicole S. Forbes-Schmitt's 57% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, can be measured against the 49% office rate, 60% state rate, and 58% national rate for the same period. These figures are based on 423 decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Forbes-Schmitt'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
Since 2016, Nicole S. Forbes-Schmitt has issued 3,535 decisions with an overall approval rate of 54%. The yearly trend shows fluctuations, with approval rates moving from 57% in 2016 to a low of 50% between 2018 and 2020, before rising to 61% in 2024. The most recent 12 months sit slightly above the record since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Forbes-Schmitt'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.
About the Charleston SC hearing office
The Charleston SC hearing office serves claimants across South Carolina and parts of the surrounding region. This office has a bench of 15 judges whose most recent office on record is this location. Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, the office maintained an approval rate of 49%. You can see the Charleston SC Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Charleston SC
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Among the 5 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file, approval rates range from 15% to 67% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. There are 15 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, and 5 of them decided cases here in SSA's latest file. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Forbes-Schmitt's 57%. Three of them last decided cases in South Carolina. With too few close matches there, the rest come from SSA's Atlanta region.
- 57% Approval rate, last 12 months Anthony Capece
- 56% Approval rate, last 12 months Colin Fritz
- 58% Approval rate, last 12 months Philip J. Healy
- 57% Approval rate, last 12 months Joseph Bestul
- 57% Approval rate, last 12 months Robert Hodum
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Forbes-Schmitt and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Nicole S. Forbes-Schmitt's 57% approval rate is higher than the 49% average for the Charleston SC hearing office. Among the 5 judges in the latest SSA file, approval rates range from 15% to 67%. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific bench you are assigned.
Nicole S. Forbes-Schmitt's approval rate has varied over time, starting at 57% in 2016 and reaching 57% again in the most recent partial year of 2026. The rate has seen both dips and increases during this period, with a high of 61% in 2024. An attorney can help you understand how these patterns might relate to your case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency across hearing offices. Because assignment is random, it is important to be prepared for any judge. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing.
An approval rate is a probability based on past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. While Nicole S. Forbes-Schmitt's 57% rate over the last 12 months provides historical context, the outcome of your case depends primarily on the medical evidence and testimony you present. An attorney can help you build the strongest possible case for your hearing.
