Approval rates
Comparing a judge's lifetime approval rate to current office and national benchmarks provides context for your hearing. While the national average sits at 58%, Judge Jones has maintained a 30% approval rate over her 7-year tenure. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 8,672 lifetime decisions, offering a stable view of past trends. 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 Jones'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 her 7 years on the bench, Judge Jones has maintained a consistent decision pattern. Her yearly approval rates have fluctuated within a narrow range, showing no sharp spikes or declines, with a 30% lifetime approval rate overall. The most recent data indicates that her approach remains steady, reflecting a continuation of her established history. This consistency allows for predictable preparation, as the latest period aligns closely with her long-term trends.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Jones'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 Jones? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Tacoma WA hearing office
The Tacoma WA Hearing Office serves a broad population across Washington, managing a high volume of disability claims with a team of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 58%, which serves as a baseline for the region. You can expect a professional environment focused on the evidence presented in your specific file. You can visit the Tacoma WA Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Tacoma WA Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your judge is selected randomly. The bench here is diverse, with lifetime approval rates among the office's 6 ALJs ranging from 30% to 72%. This variance highlights why knowing your assigned judge is only the first step in your strategy. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
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.