Approval rates
Judge Boylan maintains a lifetime approval rate of 56% based on 18,409 lifetime decisions. This aligns with the latest approval rate for the Cincinnati Hearing Office, which also sits at 56%. While this is 2 percentage points below the national average of 58%, it reflects a consistent history of adjudication.
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 Boylan'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 his 7-year tenure, Judge Boylan has demonstrated a steady decision pattern. His annual approval rates have fluctuated between 45% and 59%, showing a balanced approach to the evidence you present in court. His long-term data remains anchored near the office average, suggesting that he evaluates each case based on the specific medical and vocational evidence provided.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Boylan'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 Boylan? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Cincinnati hearing office
The Cincinnati Hearing Office serves a significant population across Ohio, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a collaborative environment focused on processing complex medical evidence. You can expect a formal hearing process where the quality of your documentation is paramount to the outcome. You can visit the Cincinnati Hearing Office page for more information.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Cincinnati Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 37% to 73%. Because of this variance, understanding the local environment is helpful for your preparation.
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.