Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes. While the judge's overall rate is 51% since 2023, the latest-period data shows a 49% approval rate, which is 6 points below the Johnstown office average of 55%. These figures are drawn from a docket of 1,407 decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not 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 Reaves'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
The approval rate for Tiesh I. Reaves has remained steady since 2023. After an initial 50% approval rate in 2023, the rate was 54% in 2024, 51% in 2025, and 49% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. With 1,407 total decisions on record, the data reflects a consistent pattern of adjudication.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Reaves'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 Johnstown hearing office
Tiesh I. Reaves's most recent office on record is the Johnstown hearing office, which serves the surrounding region in Pennsylvania. This office maintains a bench of 8 judges with varying approval patterns. The office-wide approval rate in the latest period was 55%, providing a benchmark for the local area.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Johnstown
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your judge assignment is random. There are 8 judges whose most recent office on record is Johnstown. Approval rates across this bench range from 32% to 80% on their records since 2016. You can find the full roster on the Johnstown hearing office page.
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
Judge Reaves's latest-period approval rate of 49% is 6 points lower than the Johnstown office average of 55%. Because approval rates across the 8 judges at this office range from 32% to 80%, an attorney can help you understand how to present your evidence effectively for this specific bench.
The approval rate has held steady, moving from 50% in 2023 to 49% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. This consistency across 1,407 decisions suggests a stable pattern of review. If you are concerned about your hearing, an attorney can help you prepare your case.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, making the process random. Since you cannot control the assignment, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the best way to prepare.
An approval rate is a probability based on past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. While Judge Reaves has a 51% approval rate on record since 2023, your outcome depends primarily on the medical evidence and testimony you provide. An attorney can help you organize this evidence to meet the requirements of the Social Security Act.
