Approval rates
Judge Graves maintains a lifetime approval rate of 48% across 4,523 lifetime decisions. Compared to the latest reporting period, the judge's approval rate sits 6 points below the Memphis office average and 10 points below both the state and national averages of 58%. These figures provide a statistical snapshot of the judge's bench history, though aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predictions for your 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 Graves'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 a 3-year tenure, your judge has shown a steady trend in approval rates. Starting at 45% in 2016, the rate moved to 48% in 2017 and reached 50% by 2018. This progression across 4,523 lifetime decisions indicates a consistent approach to case evaluation. The recent uptick suggests a stable pattern in how evidence is weighed during your hearing process.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Graves'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 Graves? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Memphis hearing office
The Memphis Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Tennessee and the surrounding region. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a high volume of SSDI hearings to address local demand. The office currently reports a 54% approval rate, reflecting the broader environment in which your hearing will take place. You can visit the Memphis 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Memphis office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 48% to 73%. While these variations exist, the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent, and the guidance for your preparation is the same regardless of which judge is 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.