Approval rates
Comparing a judge's record requires looking at data from the same timeframe to ensure accuracy. While the Knoxville office-wide lifetime approval range spans from 13% to 77%, Joyce Francis has maintained a 13% lifetime approval rate across 2,759 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her 13% approval rate sits 35 percentage points below the office-wide average of 48%. These figures reflect historical trends rather than specific outcomes 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 Francis'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
The record for Joyce Francis spans 2,759 decisions since 2017, showing a consistent pattern of approvals over time. Her yearly approval rates have fluctuated within a narrow band, starting at 8% in 2017 and reaching a peak of 17% in 2021 before returning to 13% in the most recent period. This trend suggests a stable approach to case evaluation. 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 Francis'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 Knoxville hearing office
The Knoxville hearing office serves you throughout the region, providing a central venue for disability hearings in Tennessee. With 16 judges on record, the office manages a diverse caseload with varying approval outcomes. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 48%, reflecting the broader environment in which your hearing occurs. You can see the Knoxville 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 16 judges on record at this office since 2016, 5 of whom reported in the latest period. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, with a lifetime range of 13% to 77% among all judges on record. You can find more information on the office's hearing-office page.
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
Joyce Francis has a lifetime approval rate of 13% across 2,759 decisions. This sits at the lower end of the 13% to 77% lifetime approval range observed among the 16 judges on record at the Knoxville office. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this judge's courtroom.
The approval rate for Joyce Francis has remained relatively steady since 2017. While there was a slight variance in annual performance, such as the 17% rate in 2021, the most recent data shows a return to her 13% lifetime average. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific evidence.
No, you cannot request a specific judge for your SSDI hearing. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a random workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned.
A judge's approval rate is a reflection of past decisions and is not a prediction of how they will rule on your specific claim. Factors like medical evidence, work history, and vocational testimony often carry more weight than a judge's statistical history. An attorney can help you build a strong case tailored to the evidence required for approval.