Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing process. Judge Hellums has a lifetime approval rate of 27% based on 20,264 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, your judge's approval rate was 31%, which compares to the Springfield MO office average of 41% and the national average of 58%. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of your specific 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 Hellums'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 9-year tenure, Judge Hellums has maintained a consistent pattern of decision-making. While his approval rate fluctuated between 18% and 36% during his middle years on the bench, the most recent data shows a rate of 31%. This latest period reflects a continuation of his established patterns, suggesting that the quality of your evidence remains the primary driver of outcomes in his courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hellums'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 Hellums? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Springfield MO hearing office
The Springfield MO hearing office serves the surrounding region and manages a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges on the bench, the office handles a diverse caseload that requires careful preparation of your medical and vocational evidence. The office-wide latest approval rate is 41%, reflecting local standards for disability eligibility. You can see the Springfield MO Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the Springfield MO office, lifetime approval rates for the 6 judges range from 27% to 48%. Because every judge has a unique approach to evaluating medical evidence, variation across the bench is common. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Springfield MO 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.