Approval rates
Judge Balter maintains a lifetime approval rate of 56%, which aligns closely with the 56% state average and remains competitive against the 58% national benchmark. These figures are derived from 21,853 lifetime decisions made over a nine-year tenure. While the latest reporting period shows an approval rate of 60%, these numbers represent historical trends rather than a guarantee for your specific hearing. 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 Balter'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 nine years on the bench, Judge Balter has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability adjudication. After an initial period of lower approval rates between 2017 and 2019, the trend shifted upward, reaching a peak of 62% in 2023. Recent data suggests the rate has stabilized, with the latest reporting period showing a 60% approval rate. This pattern reflects a steady, evidence-based approach to the requirements of your claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Balter'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 Balter? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Akron OH hearing office
The Akron OH Hearing Office serves a significant population across Ohio, managing a high volume of disability claims with a team of six administrative law judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 55%, reflecting the standards applied to claims in the region. You can expect a professional environment focused on the medical and vocational evidence required by the Social Security Administration. You can visit the Akron OH Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Akron OH Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Balter is essentially random. The bench at this office is diverse, with lifetime approval rates for judges ranging from 44% to 60%. Because of this variance, understanding the general environment of the office is as important as knowing your specific judge's history. You can review the office-wide trends to better understand the local hearing environment.
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.