Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance requires looking at both lifetime averages and recent trends. Judge Palachuk's lifetime approval rate of 48% is based on 22,909 lifetime decisions. In the latest reporting period, her 50% approval rate sits 10 percentage points below the national average of 58%. These rates describe past decisions rather than predicting your specific outcome.
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 Palachuk'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Palachuk has presided over 22,909 lifetime decisions. Her yearly approval trend shows fluctuation, starting at 57% in 2016 and reaching a low of 35% in 2022 before trending to 50% in 2025. This recent shift suggests a return toward her historical average after a period of lower approval rates. These patterns reflect the judge's consistent approach to evaluating evidence over the past decade.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Palachuk'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 Palachuk? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Spokane hearing office
The Spokane Hearing Office serves claimants across Washington and the surrounding region. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a significant volume of disability claims. The office-wide latest approval rate is 72%, which provides context for local outcomes. You can visit the Spokane 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 draw is essentially random. Across the Spokane Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 48% to 78%. Because assignment is outside your control, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare.
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.