Approval rates
Judge Smith's approval rate is measured against a backdrop of 18,817 lifetime decisions. In the latest reporting period, your judge's approval rate reached 58%, which is 3 points below the NHC Falls Church office average and 10 points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding your judge's history. 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 Smith'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 a 10-year tenure, Judge Smith's approval patterns have shifted notably. While the lifetime average stands at 48%, the yearly trend shows an upward trajectory, moving from 42% in 2016 to a peak of 66% in 2024 before settling at 58% in 2025. This recent period reflects a departure from earlier, lower-approval years. Such changes often stem from shifts in case complexity or the quality of medical evidence you present in the courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Smith'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 Smith? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Nhc Falls Church hearing office
The NHC Falls Church Hearing Office serves the Virginia region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 51%. You can expect a formal process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the NHC Falls Church 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 you cannot choose your judge. At the NHC Falls Church office, the bench consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 48% to 69%. While these rates vary, the fundamental requirements for proving your disability remain consistent across the entire office. Guidance for your preparation remains 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.