Approval rates
Judge Schueler has presided over 14,840 lifetime decisions during his 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 60%, compared to the Roanoke office average of 59% and the national average of 58%. These statistics provide a broad view of judicial activity, though they are not predictive of any individual outcome. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your 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 Schueler'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 his 10 years on the bench, Judge Schueler has seen his approval rates fluctuate, ranging from a low of 41% in 2022 to a high of 61% in 2025. This yearly trend shows a period of volatility followed by a recent return to higher approval levels. The latest reporting period reflects a continuation of this upward trend compared to his lifetime average. This pattern suggests that recent case outcomes have been more favorable than the historical baseline.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Schueler'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 scheduled?
About the Roanoke hearing office
The Roanoke Hearing Office serves you and other residents across Virginia and parts of the surrounding region. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a significant volume of disability claims with an office-wide approval rate of 59%. You should expect a standard administrative process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Roanoke Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Roanoke office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 45% to 67%. While you cannot choose your judge, understanding the office-wide environment can help you prepare. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Your odds change dramatically 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.