Approval rates
Judge Foster has presided over 19,820 decisions during a 10-year tenure. In the latest reporting period, the judge reached an approval rate of 65%, compared to the 54% average for the Louisville office and 58% nationally. These figures offer a view into historical trends, though they do not guarantee a specific outcome for your 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 Foster'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 the past decade, your judge's approval rate has fluctuated, ranging from a low of 47% in 2018 to a high of 66% in 2025. This trend indicates that decision-making has evolved, with the most recent data showing a period of higher approval activity compared to the lifetime average. Such shifts often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Foster'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 Foster? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Louisville hearing office
The Louisville Hearing Office serves a large population across Kentucky, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide approval rate that serves as a baseline for regional performance. If you are appearing here, you should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational evidence. You can visit the Louisville Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Foster is essentially random. Across the Louisville office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 45% to 57%. While individual judges may have different approaches, the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent under federal law.
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.