Approval rates
The approval rate for Leisha Self is calculated based on 11,423 lifetime decisions made during her 9 years on the bench. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate matched the Baltimore Hearing Office average of 66%, while remaining 7 percentage points higher than the state average and 8 percentage points above the national average. 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 Self'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 9-year tenure, Leisha Self has seen fluctuations in her annual approval rates. After an initial period of higher approvals in 2016 and 2017, the rate shifted in 2018 before seeing a notable increase in 2019. Since 2020, the data shows a gradual transition toward the current level. These shifts often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the specific medical evidence presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Self'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 Self? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Baltimore hearing office
The Baltimore Hearing Office serves a significant population of claimants across Maryland, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office maintains a latest approval rate of 66%, consistent with the broader regional trends for SSDI claims. You can visit the Baltimore 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 your assignment is essentially random. Within the Baltimore Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 46% to 81%. Because the judge you draw is outside of your control, focusing on the strength of your own medical documentation is the most effective way to prepare.
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.