Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at data from the same timeframes. While your judge's since-2016 approval rate of 44% provides a broad view of the docket, the latest-period approval rate of 35% should be measured against the Akron OH office's latest-period rate of 53%. These figures are derived from thousands of decisions on record, providing a statistical foundation for understanding the local hearing environment.
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 Beatty'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
Since January 2016, the approval rate for Gregory M. Beatty has shown a varied trend. After starting at 39% in 2016, the annual approval rate fluctuated, reaching a high of 49% in 2023 and 2025 before shifting to 35% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. These patterns reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the specific evidence presented in a given period.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Beatty'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.
About the Akron OH hearing office
The Akron OH hearing office serves you and other claimants across the region. With 13 judges whose most recent office on record is this location, the office maintains a consistent volume of hearings. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 53%, which provides context for the local hearing environment.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Akron OH
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 13 judges whose most recent office on record is the Akron OH office, 7 of whom decided cases in the latest SSA file through July 2026. Approval rates for this bench range from 43% to 80% based on records since 2016.
Approval rates change 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.
Frequently asked questions
Judge Beatty's 44% approval rate on record since 2016 sits within the 43% to 80% range observed among the 13 judges whose most recent office on record is the Akron OH office. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this bench.
Yes, the approval rate has fluctuated over time. It moved from 39% in 2016 to a peak of 49% in 2025, with a latest-period rate of 35% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. An attorney can help you understand how these trends may relate to your specific case evidence.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The SSA assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency, making the assignment process random. An attorney can help you prepare a strong case regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing.
The 44% approval rate on record since 2016 is a statistical observation of past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. Your outcome depends primarily on the medical evidence and documentation you provide. An attorney can help you ensure your case is as complete as possible.
