Approval rates
The approval rate for Judge Rachal is calculated based on 18,846 lifetime decisions made during his 9 years on the bench. While his latest approval rate of 42% shows recent activity, it remains lower than the 59% average seen at the Alexandria Hearing Office. These figures provide a statistical snapshot of the judge's history rather than a guarantee of your future 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 Rachal'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 tenure, your judge has seen his approval rates fluctuate, starting at 69% in 2017 before stabilizing in the 25% to 42% range between 2021 and 2025. The most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 42%. These patterns are common as judges adjust to changing case mixes and updated Social Security Act guidelines.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Rachal'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 Rachal? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Alexandria hearing office
The Alexandria Hearing Office serves a significant population in Virginia, managing a high volume of cases with a team of 6 ALJs. The office currently reports an approval rate of 59%, reflecting the regional trends in disability adjudication. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Alexandria Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning you cannot request a specific judge. The bench here is diverse, with lifetime approval rates for judges ranging from 32% to 66%. While some judges may approve cases at higher rates than others, the requirements for proving your disability remain constant.
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.