Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to look at how a judge's approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Washington’s 67% lifetime approval rate is currently 13 percentage points higher than the latest average for the Minneapolis Hearing Office. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 19,251 lifetime decisions, providing a robust sample size for analysis. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of your specific 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 Washington'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 Washington has shown a trend that shifted from a baseline in the low 60s to a more recent upward trajectory. While his approval rate fluctuated between 61% and 74% during his early tenure, the most recent reporting period shows a distinct increase in approved claims. This pattern suggests a judge who may be adjusting to changes in case mix or evolving standards of evidence. These trends provide context for the courtroom environment but do not dictate the outcome of your specific hearing.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Washington'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 Washington? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Minneapolis hearing office
The Minneapolis Hearing Office serves a large population across Minnesota, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, this office handles complex cases that require thorough medical documentation and vocational testimony. The office currently reports an approval rate of 54%, which serves as a baseline for the region. You can see the Minneapolis 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 Minneapolis Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 46% to 67%. Because each judge operates with their own judicial philosophy, understanding the office-wide environment is as important as looking at one individual's data. You can find more information on the office-wide roster on the Minneapolis 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.