Approval rates
Judge Riley maintains a lifetime approval rate of 77% across 22,320 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate outperformed the Kingsport Hearing Office average by 21 percentage points and the national average by 19 percentage points. This data is derived from a substantial docket, providing a clear view of his historical decision-making. 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 Riley'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 8 years on the bench, Judge Riley has shown a consistent history of approvals, peaking at 86% in 2020 and 2021. While the rate shifted to 61% in 2022 and 69% in 2023, his lifetime average remains high compared to regional peers. These fluctuations often reflect changes in the volume of cases or the complexity of medical evidence presented during those years. You can find more information on the Kingsport Hearing Office page.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Riley'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 Riley? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Kingsport hearing office
The Kingsport Hearing Office serves you throughout the region, managing a high volume of disability cases. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains an environment where evidence quality is the primary driver of outcomes. You can expect a professional hearing process focused on the specific medical documentation of your impairment. You can see 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. Across the 6 judges at the Kingsport Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates range from 45% to 77%. Because each judge manages their own courtroom, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful. 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.