Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge Gilbert maintains a lifetime approval rate of 36%, which contrasts with the 58% latest approval rate seen across the Tacoma office and the 58% national average. These figures are derived from 1,480 lifetime decisions, offering a view of his historical approach. 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 Gilbert'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 his 2 years on the bench, Judge Gilbert has presided over 1,480 decisions. His yearly trend shows an approval rate of 41% in 2016, followed by 32% in 2017. This shift indicates a decline in the approval rate during his tenure. Such patterns often reflect changes in the types of cases assigned or evolving standards for medical evidence. You can review the Tacoma Hearing Office page for more information on regional trends.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Gilbert'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 Gilbert? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Tacoma hearing office
The Tacoma Hearing Office serves you and other claimants throughout Washington and the surrounding region. It maintains a busy docket with 6 judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. The office currently reports a latest approval rate of 58%, which serves as a baseline for the region. You can see the Tacoma 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. Within the Tacoma office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 31% to 72%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence. You can find more information on the Tacoma Hearing Office page.
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.