Approval rates
Judge Smoot maintains a 56% lifetime approval rate based on 18,840 decisions rendered during her 9-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate was 1 point higher than the Akron OH Hearing Office average and 2 points lower than the national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases are processed in this jurisdiction.
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 Smoot'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 your 9 years on the bench, Judge Smoot has seen fluctuations in annual approval rates, ranging from a low of 45% in 2017 to a high of 65% in 2019. After a period of lower approval rates in 2021, recent data from 2023 and 2024 shows a return to a 64% approval level. This recent trend indicates a shift toward higher allowance rates compared to mid-tenure performance.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Smoot'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 Smoot? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Akron OH hearing office
The Akron OH Hearing Office serves a significant population across Ohio, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 55%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can find more information on the Akron OH Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Akron OH Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates for the bench range from 44% to 60%. Because each judge manages a unique docket, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful.
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.