Approval rates
Judge Young maintains a lifetime approval rate of 44%, calculated from a total of 2,662 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, this judge's approval rate tracks 22 percentage points below the Baltimore Hearing Office average and 14 points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for your case preparation. 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 Young'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 two-year tenure, Judge Young has maintained a consistent decision-making profile. The data shows an approval rate of 44% in 2016 and 43% in 2017, indicating that the judge's approach has remained steady throughout their time on the bench. This stability suggests that the judge applies a uniform standard when evaluating the medical and vocational evidence you present in your disability claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Young'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 Young? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Baltimore hearing office
The Baltimore Hearing Office serves a large population of claimants across Maryland, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 66%, which is higher than both the state average of 59% and the national average of 58%. You can expect a rigorous review of your medical records and vocational history. You can visit the Baltimore 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Baltimore Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 44% to 81%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving your disability remain constant. For your preparation, 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.