Approval rates
Judge Sims maintains a lifetime approval rate of 55%, a figure derived from a docket of 13,763 lifetime decisions over his 7-year tenure. When compared to the latest reporting period, his approval rate sits 17 percentage points below the Charlotte Hearing Office average and 3 percentage points below the national average. These figures provide a broad view of his judicial history, though aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than 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 Sims'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 7 years on the bench, Judge Sims has demonstrated a steady decision-making pattern. While his approval rate saw a temporary dip to 49% in 2020, it rebounded to 57% in 2021 before settling at 50% in 2022. This fluctuation is common and often reflects shifts in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented during specific periods. The latest data suggests a continuation of his established long-term trend.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Sims'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 Sims? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Charlotte hearing office
The Charlotte Hearing Office serves a large population across North Carolina, managing a high volume of SSDI and SSI claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a robust caseload and follows standard Office of Hearings Operations procedures. You can expect a formal environment where the focus remains on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Charlotte 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 Charlotte Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 28% to 78%. Because each judge operates with their own judicial philosophy, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful for your preparation.
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.