Approval rates
When evaluating your hearing, it is helpful to look at how a judge's approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Campbell's lifetime rate of 49% is 9 percentage points lower than the current national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 17,525 lifetime decisions, providing a robust statistical sample. 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 Wingate Campbell'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 her 7 years on the bench, Judge Campbell has seen her approval rates shift across different reporting periods. Her yearly trend shows a range of outcomes, starting at 42% in 2016 and reaching 57% in 2022. This variation highlights that while there is a long-term average, annual performance can fluctuate based on the specific evidence you present in your case. The recent uptick in the latest period suggests a departure from her earlier approval trends.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Wingate Campbell'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 Campbell? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Columbia MO hearing office
The Columbia MO Hearing Office serves a wide region, managing a high volume of disability claims with a team of 5 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 58%, aligning with national standards. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical documentation and vocational evidence. You can visit the Columbia MO Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your specific assignment is essentially random. Within the Columbia MO Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 40% to 67%. This variance underscores that the judge you draw can influence the procedural flow of your hearing. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent 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.