Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks helps contextualize your hearing process. Judge Long's 62% lifetime approval rate is evaluated against the current 61% office average and the 58% national average. These figures are derived from 1,933 lifetime decisions, providing a view of her tenure. 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 Long'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 her 1 year on the bench, Judge Long has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability adjudication. Her approval rate of 62% in 2016 reflects a steady pattern of decision-making that aligns with her career-long performance. This stability suggests that her evaluation criteria remain focused on the medical and vocational evidence you present in your file.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Long'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 Long? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Washington hearing office
The Washington (District of Columbia) Hearing Office serves a diverse population across the region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 61%. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and work history. You can see the Washington (District of Columbia) 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Washington (District of Columbia) office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 33% to 62%. Because of this variance, understanding the office environment is helpful for your preparation. The guidance for your case remains consistent 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.