Approval rates
Judge Keen's lifetime approval rate of 42% is derived from 15,466 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her 52% approval rate remains below the Kingsport Hearing Office average of 56% and the national average of 58%. These figures offer a window into how cases have been decided in her court over the last seven years, 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 Keen'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 7 years on the bench, Judge Keen has presided over 15,466 decisions, with annual approval rates fluctuating between 35% and 52%. While her early years saw lower approval rates, recent data from 2023 and 2025 indicates a shift toward higher approval outcomes. This variance reflects changes in the types of cases heard and the quality of evidence presented in her courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Keen'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 Keen? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Kingsport hearing office
The Kingsport Hearing Office serves a significant population in Tennessee, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. You can expect a formal process focused on the specific requirements of 20 CFR Part 404. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 56%, reflecting regional standards for disability adjudication.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to Judge Keen is essentially random. Across the Kingsport Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 42% to 77%. Because every judge maintains a unique approach to evaluating medical evidence, understanding the office-wide landscape provides helpful context for your hearing.
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.