Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to look at how a judge's history compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Bivins has maintained a consistent record over her 8 years on the bench, with her latest approval rate trailing the Cincinnati Hearing Office average of 56% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant volume of 11,063 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Bivins'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 her 8-year tenure, Judge Bivins has shown a gradual upward trend in her approval rates. Starting at 19% in 2016, her annual approval rate reached 40% by 2023. This progression suggests a shift in her decision-making pattern over time, moving from a lower initial rate toward a more moderate position. The recent stability at 40% reflects a consistent approach to the evidence presented in your courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bivins'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 Bivins? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Cincinnati hearing office
The Cincinnati Hearing Office serves a large population across Ohio, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 56%, reflecting the regional standards for disability adjudication. You can expect a formal process focused on medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can see the Cincinnati Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Cincinnati office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 32% to 73%. Because of this variance, understanding the landscape of your local office is part of the process. You can find more information on the Cincinnati hearing office page.
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.