Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance requires looking at both their lifetime record and the broader context of the hearing office. Judge Jewell has maintained an 84% approval rate across 1,698 lifetime decisions, which stands in contrast to the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases have been resolved in this courtroom. 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 Jewell'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 1-year tenure on the bench, Judge Jewell has presided over 1,698 lifetime decisions. The data shows a consistent approval pattern, with the 2016 reporting period reflecting an 84% approval rate. This stability suggests a steady approach to evaluating evidence and medical documentation. The current trend indicates that the judge's decision-making process has remained predictable throughout your time in the Creve Coeur office.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Jewell'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 Jewell? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Creve Coeur hearing office
The Creve Coeur Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across the region, managing a volume of disability cases with a bench of 6 judges. You can expect a formal process focused on the medical evidence supporting your claim. The office maintains a range of approval outcomes, reflecting the varied nature of the cases heard. You can view the full ALJ roster on the Creve Coeur Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Creve Coeur office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 38% to 84%. This variance highlights why understanding the specific tendencies of your assigned judge is a common part of hearing preparation. You can find more information on the Creve Coeur 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.