Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge Calabro maintains a lifetime approval rate of 63% based on 8,234 decisions. This performance is 1% higher than the Orlando office average, 4% higher than the Florida state average, and 5% higher than the national average. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of your specific 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 Calabro'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 4 years on the bench, Judge Calabro has shown a consistent trend in his approval patterns. His approval rate was 60% in 2016, 63% in 2017, and 66% in 2018. This trajectory reflects a stable approach to evaluating disability evidence and applying Social Security Administration guidelines throughout his tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Calabro'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 Calabro? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Orlando hearing office
The Orlando Hearing Office serves a significant population of claimants across central Florida. With a bench of 6 judges, this office manages a high volume of cases and maintains an office-wide approval rate of 62%. You can expect a standard administrative process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Orlando Hearing Office page for more information on the local roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses an automated system to assign cases, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the Orlando office, the 6 administrative law judges have lifetime approval rates ranging from 57% to 63%. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the evidence, understanding the office-wide 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.