Approval rates
Understanding how a judge compares to their peers provides helpful context for your upcoming hearing. The data below displays the approval rate for S. Andrew Grace alongside the range of outcomes for the 17 judges whose most recent office on record is the Tacoma hearing office. These figures are based on the total volume of decisions since 2016, providing a look at past trends. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Grace. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 28, 2018. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Grace'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 S. Andrew Grace includes 1,097 decisions between January 2016 and September 2018. His approval rate showed variation during this window, starting at 51% in 2016, rising to 55% in 2017, and settling at 48% in 2018. This trend indicates the pattern of decision-making over the period. The data reflects how case evidence and legal requirements were applied across his volume of claims.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Grace'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 Tacoma hearing office
The Tacoma hearing office serves claimants across Washington and the surrounding region. There are 17 judges whose most recent office on record is this location. Claimants appearing here can expect a standard administrative process focused on the specific medical and vocational evidence of your claim.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Tacoma
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Tacoma hearing office, there are 17 judges whose most recent office on record is this location. These judges show a wide range of approval rates, spanning from 30% to 78% on their since-2016 records. Your preparation remains the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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
S. Andrew Grace has an approval rate of 51% based on his 1,097 decisions on record since 2016. This sits within the broader range of 30% to 78% observed among the 17 judges whose most recent office on record is the Tacoma hearing office. An attorney can help you understand how to prepare your case for this specific bench.
The approval rate for S. Andrew Grace was 51% in 2016, 55% in 2017, and 48% in 2018. These figures represent his activity over the 1,097 decisions on record during that window. A qualified attorney can help you evaluate how these past trends might relate to the evidence in your own case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses an automated workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to judges, ensuring that assignments remain random. If you are concerned about your hearing, an attorney can help you prepare effectively regardless of the judge assigned.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where the judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You may be asked questions by the judge or a vocational expert about your ability to perform work-related tasks. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and ensure your medical evidence is clearly presented.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and is not a prediction of how any specific case will be decided. Every claim is unique, and the quality of your medical evidence remains the most important factor in a favorable outcome. An attorney can help you identify the strengths of your case and prepare for your hearing.
