Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Lewis maintains a 62% lifetime approval rate, which tracks above the 49% latest approval rate seen across the Florence office. These figures are derived from a significant volume of 15,912 lifetime decisions, offering a clear view of his historical approach. 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 Lewis'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 9 years on the bench, the approval rate for Judge Lewis has remained relatively steady. While his approval rate reached 69% in the latest reporting period, this follows a consistent multi-year trend of moderate outcomes. The data suggests a stable approach to evidence evaluation that has persisted throughout his tenure. This recent uptick reflects changes in case mix or evidence quality rather than a fundamental shift in judicial philosophy.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Lewis'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 Lewis? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Florence hearing office
The Florence Hearing Office serves a broad region of South Carolina, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 49%, which serves as a baseline for the local jurisdiction. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical documentation and vocational evidence. You can see the Florence 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 you cannot choose your judge. Within the Florence office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 33% to 76%, highlighting the variance that exists even within a single location. Because your case is assigned randomly, you should focus on building a robust evidentiary record. For your preparation, the guidance is the same 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.