Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to regional and national benchmarks offers insight into the local hearing environment. Judge Kimberlin III currently trends 8% above the Louisville office average and 9% above the state average. These figures are derived from a docket of 1,895 lifetime decisions. 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 Kimberlin III'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 one-year tenure, your judge's decision pattern has remained stable at a 62% approval rate. This consistency suggests a steady approach to evaluating disability claims within the Social Security Administration framework. The latest reporting period shows performance metrics that align with this established lifetime average, indicating that the approach to evidence and testimony has been predictable throughout the time on the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kimberlin III'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 Kimberlin III? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Louisville hearing office
The Louisville Hearing Office serves a significant population of claimants across Kentucky, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an office-wide approval rate of 54%, reflecting regional trends in disability adjudication. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Louisville Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Louisville Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 presiding judges range from 45% to 62%. Because of this variance, understanding the broader office environment is as important as reviewing an individual judge's history. You can find more information on the Louisville 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.