Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance requires looking at both lifetime averages and recent trends. Judge Suttles has maintained a consistent record over 17,436 lifetime decisions, which provides a clear statistical baseline for your review. While the latest reporting period shows a 34% approval rate, this should be viewed against the broader context of the Franklin TN office and national averages. 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 Suttles'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 decade on the bench, Judge Suttles has shown a steady approach to disability adjudication. The yearly trend indicates that approval rates remained relatively consistent between 2016 and 2023, hovering near the 26% to 30% range. A recent shift in 2024 and 2025 suggests a slight upward movement in approvals compared to earlier years. This pattern reflects a continuation of a stable judicial philosophy, though recent fluctuations may stem from changes in case complexity or the specific evidence presented in recent dockets.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Suttles'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 Suttles? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Franklin TN hearing office
The Franklin TN Hearing Office serves a broad population across Tennessee, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 53%. You can expect a formal process where thorough documentation of your functional limitations is essential for a favorable outcome. You can see the Franklin TN 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Franklin TN office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 29% to 63%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focus on the strength of your medical evidence and testimony. For preparation purposes, the guidance is 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.