Approval rates
Comparing Robert Hodum's record to the broader Memphis bench provides context for your upcoming hearing. While the judge's lifetime approval rate sits at 55%, the office-wide lifetime range spans from 44% to 80%, reflecting the diversity of decision-making styles at this location. Latest-period data shows the judge approving cases at a rate 4 percentage points higher than the office average. 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 Hodum'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
Since 2016, Robert Hodum has presided over 4,038 decisions. The yearly trend shows a period of steady activity, with approval rates fluctuating between 47% and 65% over the last decade. The most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 59%, which remains consistent with the judge's long-term historical performance. This stability suggests a predictable approach to evidence evaluation, though your case remains unique.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hodum'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.
Reading this because a claim was denied? Decode the letter — what the sentence means, what to file, and by when.
About the Memphis hearing office
The Memphis hearing office serves you throughout Tennessee and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a bench of 14 judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 55%, providing a baseline for the local judicial environment. For more information on the full roster, see the Memphis hearing office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to Robert Hodum is essentially random. There are 14 judges on record at this office since 2016, 7 of whom reported in the latest period. Because approval rates vary significantly across the bench, ranging from 44% to 80% lifetime, understanding the office environment is helpful. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Robert Hodum has a lifetime approval rate of 55% across 4,038 decisions. This places the judge within the office-wide lifetime range of 44% to 80%. An attorney can help you understand how your specific medical evidence aligns with the standards applied in this office.
The approval rate for Robert Hodum has seen variations since 2016, ranging from a low of 47% to a high of 65%. The latest reporting period shows an approval rate of 59%. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific evidentiary requirements that may influence these trends.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases randomly to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare a strong case regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing.
A judge's approval rate is a reflection of past decisions and not a guarantee of your outcome. Your success depends primarily on the medical evidence and testimony you present at your hearing. An attorney can help you organize your records to meet the burden of proof required for a favorable decision.