Approval rates
Judge Robinson maintains a lifetime approval rate of 47%, which is 3 percentage points above the current Charlottesville Hearing Office average. While this is lower than the 52% state average and the 58% national average, it is based on a significant docket of 2,717 lifetime decisions. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases have been decided in this courtroom. 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 Robinson'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 3 years on the bench, your judge has seen her approval rate fluctuate. After an initial period in 2016, the rate shifted to 42% in 2017 before rising to 50% in 2018. This trend indicates a move toward a more consistent approval pattern as her tenure progressed. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, suggesting that the judge has settled into a predictable approach to evaluating disability evidence.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Robinson'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 Robinson? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Charlottesville hearing office
The Charlottesville Hearing Office serves a broad population across Virginia, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office currently maintains an approval rate of 44%. You should expect a formal process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can see the Charlottesville Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the Charlottesville Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 39% to 82%. Because assignment is essentially random, you may be scheduled before any of these jurists. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.