Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to understand how a judge's approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. Paul Goodson maintains a lifetime approval rate of 51%, which can be measured against the 72% approval rate currently seen across the Charlotte Hearing Office and the 58% national average. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 17,344 lifetime decisions accumulated over a decade on the bench. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Goodson'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 10 years on the bench, Paul Goodson has seen his approval rates fluctuate. After a period of lower approval rates between 2018 and 2021, the data shows an upward trend beginning in 2022, peaking at 65% in 2023. Recent data from 2025 shows a rate of 57%, suggesting a stabilization following that recent period of growth. This pattern reflects the judge's evolving approach to the evidence presented in his courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Goodson'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 Goodson? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Charlotte hearing office
The Charlotte Hearing Office serves a large population across North Carolina, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 72%, which is higher than both the state and national averages. You should expect a professional environment focused on the specific medical evidence supporting your disability. You can see the Charlotte Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the Charlotte Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates for the bench range from 28% to 78%. Because the judge you draw is outside of your control, the best approach is to focus on the quality and completeness of your medical documentation. You can find more information on the office's broader trends on the Charlotte 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.