Approval rates
Comparing a judge's historical approval rate to current office and national benchmarks helps provide a clearer picture of the hearing landscape. Judge Robinson has presided over 9,610 lifetime decisions during their 8-year tenure. While their recent approval rate shows variation compared to the Seattle Hearing Office average of 58%, these figures represent a broad statistical history rather than a guaranteed outcome for your claim. 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 an 8-year career, Judge Robinson's decision pattern has evolved from an initial 21% approval rate in 2016 to 50% in 2023. This trend indicates a shift in how cases have been evaluated over time, reflecting a move toward higher approval percentages in the most recent reporting periods. Such changes often correlate with shifts in case complexity or the quality of medical evidence presented. This progression highlights the importance of thorough preparation regardless of the historical trend.
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.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Seattle hearing office
The Seattle Hearing Office serves a large population across Washington, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 58%, reflecting regional trends in SSDI adjudication. You can expect a formal process focused on the documentation of your impairments and work history. You can visit the Seattle 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Seattle Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 27% to 66%. This diversity in decision-making underscores why focusing on the strength of your own medical evidence is the most effective strategy. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent 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.