Who decides cases at this office
The panel of 8 judges at this office shows a moderate spread in allowance rates, which range from 45% to 81% with a median of 64%. Because cases are assigned randomly, you cannot choose your judge, and each ALJ weighs evidence differently. This variation means your file must be robust enough to meet the evidentiary standards of any judge on the panel.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | H. S. Williams | 74% | 10,817 | |
| 2 | Renee S. Andrews-Turner | 67% | 26,723 | |
| 3 | Alfred M. Smith Jr. | 61% | 11,804 | |
| 4 | David A. Ettinger | 60% | 19,839 | |
| 5 | Frank L. Gregori | 60% | 19,923 | |
| 6 | Angele Pietrangelo | 57% | 27,285 | |
| 7 | Michelle L. Alexander | 52% | 6,908 | |
| 8 | Jennifer B. Thomas | 51% | 24,405 | |
| 9 | Robert Martin | 48% | 26,188 |
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 Nashville, 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
Hearings in Nashville involve you testifying under oath before an ALJ. Because this office processes cases relatively quickly, you should prioritize submitting updated medical records and a detailed daily-activity log as soon as possible. You should prepare for questions from the vocational expert, who will testify about whether jobs exist that accommodate your specific physical or mental limitations. Ensure your medication list is current and includes notes on any side effects that impact your ability to work. Evidence submission deadlines are strictly enforced, so you should provide new documentation well before the hearing date.
Hearings at this office move faster than the national average, leaving less room for error if your evidence is incomplete when the date is set. Even with a 60% allowance rate, the difference between a favorable decision and a denial often comes down to how well you anticipate the vocational expert's testimony. A professional review of your file can identify gaps in your medical record that an ALJ might otherwise use to justify a denial.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Nashville, 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.