Approval rates
Comparing performance requires looking at consistent timeframes. While the 70% approval rate reflects your judge's entire record since 2016, recent data shows a 79% approval rate in the latest reporting period. This latest-period figure sits 14 percentage points above the Greensboro office average of 65%. These statistics are derived from a significant volume of cases, providing a stable view of past activity.
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 Jackson'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, the approval rate for Richard Jackson has shown variation. After starting at 54% in 2016, the annual approval rate reached 79% in the latest period. This pattern suggests that your judge's recent decision-making has been more favorable than the overall average since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Jackson'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.
About the Greensboro hearing office
The Greensboro hearing office is the most recent office on record for 16 judges. The office maintains a latest-period approval rate of 65%. You can see the Greensboro hearing office page for the full roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Greensboro
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. At the Greensboro hearing office, there are 16 judges whose most recent office on record is this one. Approval rates among this bench range from 50% to 89% on their records since 2016.
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
Richard Jackson's latest-period approval rate of 79% is 14 percentage points higher than the Greensboro office's latest-period average of 65%. An attorney can help you prepare your case for this specific judge's bench.
Yes, the approval rate has shifted over time. It began at 54% in 2016 and has trended upward, reaching 79% in the most recent reporting period. A qualified attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific claim.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. Having an attorney can help you organize your evidence and prepare for the questions you will likely face.
A judge's approval rate is a reflection of past decisions, not a guarantee of a future outcome. Every case is unique, and your success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence. An attorney can help you build the strongest possible case for your hearing.
