Approval rates
Judge Harvin-Woode maintains a lifetime approval rate of 53% based on 9,589 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her 52% approval rate stands 7 percentage points above the NHC St Louis office average of 46%, and 5 points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical snapshot of her tenure over the last 10 years. 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 Harvin-Woode'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Harvin-Woode has seen her approval rates fluctuate, showing a high of 75% in 2023 and a low of 43% in 2024. Her career began with a 50% approval rate in 2016, followed by a period of relative stability between 2017 and 2020. The recent volatility in her yearly percentages suggests that case mix or evidence quality may play a significant role in your outcome. The latest period reflects a return toward her long-term average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Harvin-Woode'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 Harvin-Woode? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Nhc St Louis hearing office
The NHC St Louis Hearing Office serves you and other claimants throughout Missouri and the surrounding region. As a primary hub for disability adjudication in the area, the office manages a high volume of cases with a current office-wide approval rate of 46%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the NHC St Louis 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the 6 judges at the NHC St Louis office, lifetime approval rates range from 41% to 70%. While these variations exist, the fundamental requirements for proving disability remain consistent regardless of the judge presiding over your hearing. You can review the office-wide trends to understand the broader environment at this location.
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.