Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at data from the same timeframe to ensure accuracy. While your judge's overall approval rate since 2018 is 68%, her latest-period approval rate is 75%, which sits 20 points higher than the Franklin TN office's latest-period rate of 55%. These figures are based on a significant volume of decisions, providing a stable look at past performance.
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 Roberts-Reap'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
Since March 2018, the judge has issued 2,747 decisions. The yearly approval trend shows a generally positive trajectory, with rates climbing from 65% in 2018 to 77% in 2025. The latest fiscal year-to-date period shows a 75% approval rate, maintaining this higher level of favorable outcomes. This recent pattern suggests a consistent approach to evaluating evidence in the most current reporting period.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Roberts-Reap'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 Franklin TN hearing office
Linda Gail Roberts-Reap's most recent office on record is the Franklin TN hearing office, with decisions there through July 2026. This office serves you and other residents in Tennessee and the surrounding region, maintaining a bench of 14 judges. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 55%, which provides a baseline for the local hearing environment.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Franklin TN
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 14 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, and 10 of them decided cases here in SSA's latest file through July 2026. Approval rates across this bench range from 29% to 76% on their records since 2016.
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
Linda Gail Roberts-Reap's latest-period approval rate of 75% is 20 points higher than the Franklin TN office's latest-period average of 55%. Because case assignment is random, an attorney can help you prepare your case to meet the specific evidentiary standards of this hearing office.
Yes, the judge's approval rate has shown a positive trend over time. Starting at 65% in 2018, the rate reached 77% in 2025 and remains high at 75% for the current partial fiscal year. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific medical evidence.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Since you cannot choose your judge, an attorney can help you prepare a robust case that addresses the requirements of any judge assigned to you.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You may be asked questions about your daily activities and work history by the judge or a vocational expert. An attorney can help you prepare for these questions and ensure your testimony is clear and accurate.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. While Linda Gail Roberts-Reap has an approval rate of 68% since 2018, your success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence. An attorney can help you gather the necessary documentation to support your claim.
