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Knoxville Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Tennessee · SSA Region 04

Approval Rate

49.8%

vs 57.6% national

Wait Time

9 months

vs 8.4 months national

Processing Time

269 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

1,641

awaiting hearing

ALJs

7

active judges

Knoxville ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics

Individual judge statistics for 12 months ending July 2026. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.

Judge Approval Rate Denial Rate Fully Favorable Total Decisions Dispositions
Kerry Morgan 100% N/A 100% 1 1
Stephanie M Jones 78.5% 21.5% 73.4% 158 189
James Dixon 64.1% 35.9% 59.2% 373 435
K Dickson Grissom 60.5% 39.5% 57.9% 76 84
Todd Spangler 52.7% 47.3% 45.8% 201 237
Benjamin Burton 50.9% 49.1% 47.3% 55 65
Joyce Francis 13.6% 86.4% 11.3% 302 398

Former Judges at Knoxville

These judges have no recorded decisions at Knoxville in the 12 months ending July 2026. Figures below cover each judge's own last twelve reported months, ending in the month shown.

Judge Last Decisions Reported Approval Rate Total Decisions
J. Elaine Burke March 2025 71.4% 182
Jim Beeby August 2024 72.9% 273
Donna Lefebvre August 2024 55.1% 316
Mary E Richardson March 2024 60% 40

Approval rates here cover each judge's own trailing window ending in the month shown, so they are not directly comparable with the current roster above or with national figures.

About the Knoxville Social Security Hearing Office

Claimants in the Knoxville service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in Tennessee. The office is assigned to SSA Region 04 and has 7 active ALJs.

The office's average approval rate is 49.8%, which is below the national average of 57.6%. This rate is shaped by the interplay of case characteristics, local representation patterns, and individual judge decision tendencies. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 13.6% to 100%, a 86-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 9 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 269 days. There are currently 1,641 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 234 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 56.4%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.

How to Interpret Knoxville Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Knoxville, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.

With an average wait time of 9 months and 269 days average processing time, claimants at Knoxville can expect a total timeline of roughly 18 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Knoxville have collectively issued 1,166 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 167 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 373 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Knoxville Hearing Office FAQ

How often are disability cases approved at Knoxville?
The average ALJ approval rate at Knoxville is 49.8% for the 12 months ending July 2026. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 13.6% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 56.4%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
How many ALJs work at Knoxville?
The Knoxville office has 7 administrative law judges. Of these, 6 have issued 50 or more decisions in the 12 months ending July 2026. Decision counts range from 1 to 373 in the 12 months ending July 2026. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
What is the average case processing time at Knoxville?
The current average wait time at Knoxville is 9 months. This is longer than the national average of 8.4 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 269 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 18 months. Note that wait times are point-in-time estimates from SSA reporting and may vary from month to month based on case volume and staffing changes.
How is office data calculated?
Office statistics are calculated by aggregating individual judge decision data. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. These figures rely on SSA's publicly released disposition records, which are processed and incorporated into our database as each reporting cycle concludes.
How often do judges at Knoxville issue fully favorable decisions?
A fully favorable outcome awards benefits from the date the claimant first alleged disability. A partially favorable outcome also results in an award but may recognize a later onset date, reducing retroactive benefits. In the approval rate shown here, both types of favorable decisions are included. At Knoxville, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 56.4%.
Is Knoxville's approval rate higher or lower than nearby offices?
Of the 6 hearing offices in Tennessee, Knoxville has the lowest approval rate at 49.8%. In terms of wait time, Knoxville ranks 5 of 6 (9 months). Visit the Tennessee overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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