Approval rates
Judge Jamison maintains a lifetime approval rate of 74%, derived from a docket of 23,526 decisions over his 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, his 81% approval rate outperformed the Charlotte office average by 2 percentage points and the national average by 16 percentage points. These metrics provide a high-level view of his decision history, though they do not predict 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 Jamison'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Jamison has shown a consistent trend in his decision-making. After a period of lower approval rates between 2017 and 2018, his approval frequency has trended upward, stabilizing at 80% in 2025. This pattern suggests a steady approach to evaluating disability claims, with his current evaluation criteria remaining consistent with his recent performance.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Jamison'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 Jamison? 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%, which provides a baseline for the region. You can expect a professional environment focused on the thorough review of your medical evidence. You can see the Charlotte 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Charlotte bench, lifetime approval rates for the office's 6 ALJs range from 28% to 78%, highlighting the importance of being prepared regardless of who hears your case. 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.