Approval rates
Judge Beekman has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 36% over 17,436 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, this rate sits 22 percentage points below the national average of 58% and 17 points below the Cleveland Hearing Office average. These figures are derived from a large docket size, providing a stable look at historical trends. 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 Beekman'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 8 years on the bench, Judge Beekman has shown a steady decision pattern. While annual approval rates have fluctuated between 33% and 43%, the judge has consistently maintained a focused approach to the evidence presented. The most recent data from 2023 shows an approval rate of 43%, which may reflect changes in case mix or the specific nature of the evidence provided in those hearings. This trend suggests a judge who evaluates each file based on its unique merits.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Beekman'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 Beekman? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Cleveland hearing office
The Cleveland Hearing Office serves you and other claimants throughout Ohio and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of administrative law judges who manage a high volume of disability claims. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 53%, reflecting the broader regional trends in disability adjudication. You can visit the Cleveland Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the Cleveland Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 36% to 65%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving disability remain the same. For preparation purposes, the guidance is consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.