Approval rates
Judge Rising’s approval rate is measured against the Middlesboro Hearing Office and national benchmarks to provide context for his decision-making history. Over his 5 years on the bench, he has maintained a consistent volume of cases. While his latest reporting period shows a rate 6 points above the state average, these 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 Rising'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 yearly trend for Judge Rising shows a shift, moving from a 50% approval rate in his early tenure to a peak of 70% in 2018. Following this period, the rate was 62% in 2019 and 62% in 2020. This pattern suggests that the judge’s approach to evaluating evidence has evolved over his 5 years on the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Rising'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 Rising? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Middlesboro hearing office
The Middlesboro Hearing Office serves a broad population across the region, managing a high volume of SSDI claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 52%, which serves as a baseline for the local caseload. You can see the Middlesboro 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 Middlesboro Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 46% to 59%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focusing on the quality of your medical evidence remains the most effective way to prepare.
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.