Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at data from the same timeframe to ensure an accurate picture. Between October 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026, Jesse J. Pease decided 24 cases, while the Reno office saw a 68% approval rate. These figures provide a snapshot of recent activity based on a limited number of decisions.
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.
Judge Pease made fewer than 100 decisions in the last 12 months, too few for a fair side-by-side, so the judge comparison tool leaves them out.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Pease'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 January 2016, Jesse J. Pease has issued 2,827 decisions on record. The yearly approval trend has fluctuated, starting at 56% in 2016 and reaching 67% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. While the rate dipped to 62% in 2022, the most recent window shows a return to higher approval levels. The most recent 12-month window sits above the 63% approval rate recorded since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Pease'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 Reno hearing office
The Reno hearing office serves you across Nevada and parts of the surrounding region. As of the most recent data from July 2026, this office remains a central hub for disability hearings in the area. The office recorded a 68% approval rate over the 12 months ending July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Reno
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Among the 3 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file, approval rates range from 59% to 70% over the 12-month window. There are 7 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, though only 3 of them decided cases here in SSA's latest file.
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
Between October 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026, Jesse J. Pease approved 67% of cases, which is slightly below the 68% average for the Reno office. During this same window, the 3 judges active in the latest SSA file ranged from 59% to 70% in their approval rates. An attorney can help you understand how these local trends might impact your specific hearing strategy.
Jesse J. Pease has a 63% approval rate across 2,827 decisions on record since 2016. While the rate has varied year-to-year, the 67% approval rate between October 2025 and July 2026 shows a recent trend that is higher than the long-term average. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of these historical fluctuations.
No, you cannot request a specific judge for your SSDI hearing. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency across hearing offices. Because assignment is random, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare. An attorney can help you organize this evidence to give your case the best possible chance of success.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific case. Your success depends primarily on the medical evidence and documentation you provide to support your disability claim. An attorney can help you organize this evidence to give your case the best possible chance of success.
