Who decides cases at this office
The panel at this office consists of 8 judges with allowance rates that cluster around a 50% median. With a spread ranging from 38% to 70%, there is meaningful variation in how individual judges weigh evidence. Because cases are assigned randomly, you cannot choose your judge, making it essential that your file is robust enough to stand up to any member of the panel.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Donald A. Rising | 59% | 8,360 | |
| 2 | Mary E. Richardson | 53% | 16,834 | |
| 3 | Melinda L. Dula | 51% | 25,678 | |
| 4 | Jonathan H. Leiner | 48% | 11,921 | |
| 5 | Stacy Appleton | 46% | 7,170 | |
| 6 | Tommye C. Mangus | 46% | 31,452 |
Former & transferred judges
SSA rosters change as judges retire, transfer, or move to national assignments. These judges previously decided Social Security disability cases from this location but are not on the current roster. Their full public decision records are on their profiles.
How long you'll wait
At Middlesboro, the average wait from hearing request to written decision is 7 months— versus a national average of 8 months. Here's how it's tracked month by month over the past 16 months.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Going to your hearing
With a 7-month wait, you have a steady runway to ensure your medical file is complete before your hearing date. You should prioritize gathering updated records from the last few months, as these are often the most critical pieces of evidence for an ALJ. Ensure your medication list and a log of your daily activities are submitted well before the deadline, as last-minute evidence is restricted. The judge will preside over the session, and you will receive a written decision by mail several weeks later.
Hearings at this office come up faster than the national average, leaving less time to correct gaps in your medical history once your date is set. Preparing your file early allows you to address specific standards of the ALJ panel. By identifying missing documentation early, you avoid the risk of presenting an incomplete case to a judge who may be skeptical of undocumented claims.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Middlesboro, your case originated at one of the SSA field offices below — the local intake counter where you (or a representative) filed the initial application. Field offices don't decide hearings, but they hold your file, issue benefit-payment notices, and field the day-to-day questions during your wait.