Who decides cases at this office
The panel at this office is consistent, with all four judges clustering within an allowance spread between 40% and 48%. Because the judges operate with such uniformity, you can expect a similar standard of evidence regardless of which judge is assigned to your case. While this predictability helps in planning, remember that each judge still weighs testimony and medical records differently, so your file must be complete and persuasive on its own merits.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henry H. Chambers | 82% | 19,142 | |
| 2 | R. N. Owen | 53% | 2,280 | |
| 3 | Theodore W. Annos | 50% | 9,383 | |
| 4 | Stephanie Nagel | 48% | 4,143 | |
| 5 | Mary C. Peltzer | 48% | 11,003 | |
| 6 | Peter N. Koclanes | 48% | 4,631 | |
| 7 | Karen Robinson | 47% | 3,618 | |
| 8 | Brian B. Rippel | 45% | 31,661 | |
| 9 | William Barto | 44% | 2,261 | |
| 10 | Carol G. Moore | 42% | 12,542 | |
| 11 | H. Munday | 39% | 25,492 | |
| 12 | Brian P. Kilbane | 25% | 4,994 | |
| 13 | Mark A. O'Hara | 19% | 6,347 |
Heading to an ALJ hearing? Get a free case review to prepare for your upcoming hearing.
Free Benefits ReviewHow long you'll wait
At Charlottesville, 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
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.
Going to your hearing
Hearings at this office move faster than the national average, so you should prioritize gathering updated medical records immediately after your hearing is scheduled. You will sit before an ALJ for a session where a vocational expert will often testify about your ability to perform specific jobs. Bring a detailed log of your daily activities and a list of your current medications, including any side effects that impact your ability to work. Be aware that there is a strict deadline for submitting new evidence before your hearing date. Your attorney can help you cross-examine the vocational expert to ensure your physical or mental limitations are accurately represented.
With a 44% allowance rate, the Charlottesville office requires a high level of evidentiary precision to secure a favorable outcome. When the margin for error is this slim, an attorney helps by identifying the specific medical gaps that often lead to denials at this stage. By anticipating the vocational expert's testimony and ensuring your file is fully developed, you move from simply waiting for a date to actively building a case.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Charlottesville, 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.