Approval rates
Judge Franklin has presided over 23,189 lifetime decisions during a 10-year tenure on the bench. In the most recent reporting period, the approval rate reached 54%, which is 7 percentage points higher than the current Springfield MO office average of 41%. While this provides a snapshot of recent activity, it remains 10 points below the national average of 58%. 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 Franklin'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, the approval rate for Judge Franklin has shown a notable upward trend. After fluctuating between 40% and 49% for several years, the rate climbed to 55% in 2023 and reached 59% in 2024. This shift suggests a recent change in the types of cases heard or the evidence presented. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, indicating that the approach to evaluating your disability claim has evolved over these 10 years of service.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Franklin'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 Franklin? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Springfield MO hearing office
The Springfield MO Hearing Office serves a broad population across Missouri, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 41%, which serves as a baseline for the region. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical documentation and vocational history. You can see the Springfield MO 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Springfield MO office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 27% to 48%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is critical. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.