Approval rates
The approval rate for Judge Raines is calculated from a significant docket of 11,528 lifetime decisions, providing a stable look at his historical decision-making. His latest reporting period shows an approval rate that matches the Fort Worth office average of 55%, though it remains 3 percentage points below the national average of 58%. These metrics are useful for understanding the broader context of your hearing, though aggregate rates describe 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 Raines'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 years on the bench, Judge Raines has maintained a consistent pattern of approvals. His yearly trend shows a steady performance, with rates fluctuating narrowly between 53% and 56% throughout his tenure. This stability suggests that his approach to evaluating evidence has remained largely predictable. The recent data reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, indicating that his decision-making process has not undergone significant shifts in recent years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Raines'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 Raines? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Fort Worth hearing office
The Fort Worth Hearing Office serves a large population of claimants across Texas, managing a high volume of disability cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 55%, reflecting the regional standards for SSDI adjudication. You can expect a formal process focused on the medical and vocational evidence presented in your file. You can see the Fort Worth Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Fort Worth office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 30% to 55%. This variation highlights why understanding the local judicial environment is important for your preparation. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Fort Worth 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.