Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance requires looking at consistent periods. While Raghav Kotval maintains a 50% lifetime approval rate, his latest-period approval rate of 52% sits 11 percentage points below the Washington office average of 63%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 3,333 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 Kotval'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
The record for Raghav Kotval spans from 2016 to 2026, showing a steady pattern of decision-making. His annual approval rates have fluctuated, with a recent yearly rate of 52% in 2026. This latest figure is largely consistent with his long-term average, suggesting a stable approach to case evaluation. The data reflects a judge who has processed a high volume of claims, providing a clear view of historical trends.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kotval'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.
Reading this because a claim was denied? Decode the letter — what the sentence means, what to file, and by when.
About the Washington hearing office
The Washington hearing office serves you throughout the District of Columbia and surrounding areas. This office maintains a bench of 19 judges who oversee a high volume of disability claims. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 63%, which provides context for the local hearing environment. You can see the Washington Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Raghav Kotval is essentially random. There are 19 judges on record at this office since 2016, with 14 currently reporting in the latest SSA data. Approval rates across this bench vary widely, ranging from 33% to 85%. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Raghav Kotval has a 50% lifetime approval rate, while the office-wide lifetime range for all judges on record is 33% to 85%. In the latest reporting period, his approval rate of 52% is 11 points lower than the office average of 63%. An attorney can help you understand how to present your medical evidence to meet the specific requirements of this bench.
His approval rate has remained relatively steady over his record since 2016, with yearly fluctuations between 47% and 56%. The most recent data from 2026 shows an approval rate of 52%, which aligns with his long-term trends. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of these historical fluctuations.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a random workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Because you cannot control the assignment, an attorney can help you prepare for the specific tendencies of whichever judge is assigned to your case.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony about your limitations. You may be asked questions by the judge or a vocational expert about your ability to perform past work. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and ensure your medical evidence is clearly organized for the hearing.
A judge's approval rate is a reflection of past decisions and is not a prediction of your specific outcome. Your success depends primarily on the strength of your medical evidence and how well your limitations are documented. An attorney can help you identify gaps in your evidence to build the strongest possible case for your hearing.