Approval rates
Judge Renfroe's 60% lifetime approval rate is based on 3,553 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her 59% approval rate outperformed the Kingsport Hearing Office average by 4 percentage points and exceeded the national average by 2 percentage points. This data provides a baseline for understanding historical decision-making tendencies. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Renfroe'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 3 years on the bench, Judge Renfroe has maintained a steady approval pattern. Her annual approval rates have remained consistent, moving from 60% in 2023 to 61% in 2024, with a slight adjustment to 58% in 2025. This stability across 3,553 lifetime decisions suggests a predictable approach to evaluating your disability claim. The recent data reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, indicating that evidentiary expectations have remained consistent throughout her tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Renfroe'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 Renfroe? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Kingsport hearing office
The Kingsport Hearing Office serves a broad region of claimants in Tennessee, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 56%, which serves as a local benchmark for disability proceedings. You can expect a formal administrative environment focused on the medical and vocational evidence presented in your file. You can visit the Kingsport Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Kingsport office, lifetime approval rates across the bench range from 45% to 77%, reflecting the diversity of judicial perspectives. Regardless of which judge is assigned to your case, the fundamental requirements for proving your disability remain the same. You can find more information on the Kingsport 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.