Approval rates
Judge Kilbane maintains a lifetime approval rate of 25% based on 3,763 decisions. Compared to the latest reporting period, this judge's rate sits 19 points below the Charlottesville office average and 33 points below the national average. These figures are derived from a significant volume of cases, providing a stable look at historical decision patterns. 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 Kilbane'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 3-year tenure, your judge's approval rate shifted from 27% in 2016 to 25% in 2017, followed by 6% in 2018. This trend reflects a narrowing of approval outcomes during the final period of the reported data. Such patterns often emerge from changes in the specific types of medical evidence presented or shifts in case complexity. The recent data indicates a departure from earlier, more consistent approval levels.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kilbane'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 Kilbane? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Charlottesville hearing office
The Charlottesville Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Virginia and the surrounding region. It maintains a bench of 6 judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. With an office-wide latest approval rate of 44%, the environment is focused on the rigorous evaluation of medical and vocational evidence. You can visit the Charlottesville Hearing Office page for more information.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the Charlottesville office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 25% to 82%. This variance highlights why your specific case evidence remains the most critical factor in your hearing. You can view the full ALJ roster on the Charlottesville 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.