Approval rates
Comparing approval rates provides context on how a judge's decisions align with broader trends. Kim D. Parrish's 69% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, is measured against the 72% office rate, 68% state rate, and 58% national rate for the same period. With 4,749 total decisions on record since 2016, the data offers a significant sample size for review.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Parrish'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
Since 2016, Kim D. Parrish has issued 4,749 decisions. The yearly trend shows fluctuations, with approval rates moving from 56% in 2016 to 69% in the most recent 12-month window. The data indicates that the most recent 12 months sit above the record since 2016, which stands at 63%.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Parrish'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.
About the Oklahoma City hearing office
The Oklahoma City hearing office serves you across Oklahoma and the surrounding region. As of the latest data from July 2026, this office maintains a bench of 17 judges whose most recent office on record is this location. The office recorded a 72% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Oklahoma City
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Among the 11 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file, approval rates range from 53% to 89% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. There are 17 judges whose most recent office on record is Oklahoma City, with 11 of them deciding cases in the latest file.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Parrish's 69%. All five last decided cases in Oklahoma.
- 68% Approval rate, last 12 months Dennis LeBlanc
- 70% Approval rate, last 12 months Angelita Hamilton
- 67% Approval rate, last 12 months Steven L. Cravens
- 66% Approval rate, last 12 months Cindy Martin
- 66% Approval rate, last 12 months Sherry L. Schallner
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Parrish and the three closest side by side →
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
Kim D. Parrish's 69% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, sits within the range of the 11 judges currently active in the Oklahoma City office, who vary from 53% to 89% over that same period. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing.
Kim D. Parrish's approval rate has varied over time, starting at 56% in 2016 and reaching 69% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. The overall approval rate on record since 2016 is 63% across 4,749 decisions. A qualified attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific claim.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare for the hearing process regardless of the judge assigned.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of any specific hearing. The strength of your medical evidence and testimony remains the most critical factor in your case. An attorney can help you gather the necessary documentation to present the strongest possible case to the judge.
