Approval rates
Judge Swan maintains a lifetime approval rate of 80%, which stands in contrast to the current 70% approval rate at the Chattanooga Hearing Office and the 58% national average. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 18,004 decisions, providing a stable statistical baseline for understanding the judge's history. 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 Swan'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 Swan has demonstrated an upward trend in approval rates. Starting at 68% in 2016, the rate has climbed, reaching 93% in the 2025 reporting period. This latest performance represents a 10-point increase over the current office average. This trajectory suggests a consistent pattern of favorable outcomes in recent years, though your case remains unique based on the medical evidence you provide.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Swan'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 Swan? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Chattanooga hearing office
The Chattanooga Hearing Office serves a broad population across Tennessee, managing a high volume of disability claims. With an office-wide latest approval rate of 70%, it remains a critical hub for regional SSDI processing. You can expect a formal hearing environment where your medical documentation and vocational testimony are prioritized. You may view the full ALJ roster on the Chattanooga Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the 6 judges at the Chattanooga Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates vary, ranging from 40% to 80%. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Chattanooga Hearing Office page.
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.