Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to broader averages provides context for your hearing process. Judge Roberts-Reap's lifetime rate of 67% is measured against the Franklin TN office latest average of 53% and the national average of 58%. With over 14,794 lifetime decisions, the data offers a stable look at her history. 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 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
Over her 8 years on the bench, Judge Roberts-Reap has seen her approval rates fluctuate, starting at 63% in 2018 and reaching 74% in 2025. The trend shows a notable rise after 2020, moving from a low of 59% to a more recent period of higher approval. Her latest reporting period shows an approval rate of 77%, which remains consistent with her recent performance. This pattern suggests a stable approach to evaluating evidence over the course of her tenure.
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.
Hearing with Judge Roberts-Reap? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Franklin TN hearing office
The Franklin TN Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across the region, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 53%, reflecting the local environment for disability claims. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. See the Franklin TN 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 is essentially random. Within the Franklin TN hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 42% to 67%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving your disability remain consistent regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
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.