Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge Georgian's 18% lifetime approval rate is measured against the latest office, state, and national averages to illustrate the local landscape. These figures are derived from 13,540 lifetime decisions, offering a look at past trends. 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 Georgian'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 her 10 years on the bench, Judge Georgian has maintained a consistent decision pattern. While yearly approval rates have fluctuated between 12% and 22%, the overall trend remains steady. The latest reporting period shows an 18% approval rate, which aligns with her long-term performance. This consistency suggests a stable approach to case evaluation, and you can find more information on the Charleston SC Hearing Office page.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Georgian'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 Georgian? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Charleston SC hearing office
The Charleston SC Hearing Office serves a large population across South Carolina, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 53%. You can expect a professional environment where your medical documentation and vocational testimony are central to the hearing process. See the Charleston SC Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Charleston SC office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 18% to 69%. Because of this variance, understanding the local bench is a standard part of your hearing preparation.
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.