Approval rates
Judge Kinkade maintains a lifetime approval rate of 60%, which provides a baseline for understanding her decision history. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate reached 76%, standing 18 percentage points above the national average of 58%. This data is derived from a docket of 25,369 lifetime decisions accumulated over a decade of service. 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 Kinkade'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 your 10 years on the bench, Judge Kinkade has seen her approval rates fluctuate, moving from a low of 53% in 2021 to a high of 77% in 2025. This upward trend in recent years suggests a shift in her decision-making pattern compared to the earlier part of her tenure. The latest period reflects a continuation of this growth, which may be influenced by changes in case complexity or the quality of evidence presented. These patterns provide insight into how her docket has evolved over time.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kinkade'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 Kinkade? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Dallas North hearing office
The Dallas North Hearing Office serves a large population across Texas, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a consistent pace of adjudication to address your needs. You can expect a professional environment focused on the evaluation of medical and vocational evidence. You can visit the Dallas North Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Dallas North Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 48% to 80%. Because of this variance, the judge you draw can influence the procedural flow of your case. You can find guidance for your hearing regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.