Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Gudzan's 51% lifetime approval rate is evaluated against the Charleston SC office latest rate of 53% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from 513 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 Gudzan'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 one-year tenure, Judge Gudzan has maintained a consistent decision-making profile. The data shows a 51% approval rate throughout the reporting period. This stability suggests a predictable approach to evaluating medical evidence and vocational testimony. The current trend reflects a continuation of this steady pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Gudzan'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 Gudzan? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Charleston SC hearing office
The Charleston SC Hearing Office serves a broad 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 formal process focused on your medical documentation and vocational expert testimony. You can see the Charleston SC Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Charleston SC hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 44% to 69%. Because of this variance, it is important to understand the tendencies of the judge assigned to your case. You can find more information on the Charleston SC 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.