Approval rates
The approval rate for Edward T. Morriss is 27% based on 11,648 lifetime decisions. This figure is compared against the latest office, state, and national averages to provide context for your upcoming hearing. While these statistics offer a look at historical trends, they do not guarantee a specific outcome for your case. These rates reflect past decisions rather than 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 Morriss'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 his 5-year tenure, your judge's approval rate has shown fluctuations. After reaching a peak of 36% in 2018, the rate was 15% in 2020. These shifts across 11,648 lifetime decisions suggest that case outcomes vary based on the specific evidence and documentation you present. The recent trend reflects a period of lower approval rates compared to his earlier years on the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Morriss'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 Morriss? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Charleston SC hearing office
The Charleston SC hearing office serves you and other applicants throughout South Carolina and the surrounding region. This office manages a high volume of cases with 6 judges currently on the bench. The office maintains a latest approval rate of 53%, which provides a baseline for your local hearing. You can visit the Charleston SC 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 a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Charleston SC hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 27% to 69%. Because of this variance, understanding the local bench is a standard part of your hearing preparation. You can find more information on the Charleston SC 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.