Approval rates
When evaluating your hearing prospects, it is helpful to look at how a judge's history compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Hicks maintains a 59% lifetime approval rate, which provides a stable baseline derived from 13,542 total decisions. While the Charlotte Hearing Office currently reports a 72% approval rate, individual judges often show variance based on their specific caseloads and evidentiary standards. 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 Hicks'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 six-year tenure, the approval patterns for Judge Hicks have shown notable movement. Starting at 48% in 2016, the rate trended upward to a peak of 69% in 2018 before stabilizing in the high 50s and low 60s. The most recent data reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, indicating that the judge's current decision-making process is well-established.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hicks'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 Hicks? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Charlotte hearing office
The Charlotte Hearing Office serves a large population across North Carolina, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 72%, reflecting the local administrative environment. You can expect a rigorous review process focused on your medical documentation and vocational evidence. You can see the Charlotte 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 you cannot choose your judge. Within the Charlotte office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 28% to 78%. This wide variance highlights why the specific judge assigned to your case matters significantly. You can find more information on the Charlotte 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.