Approval rates
Judge Ciccolini maintains an 80% lifetime approval rate, which sits at the top of the 43% to 80% range observed among the 13 judges on record at the Akron OH hearing office. These figures are derived from thousands of hearings, providing a look at how cases have been decided in this venue. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Ciccolini. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 24, 2021. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Ciccolini'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
The record for Judge Ciccolini spans from 2016 to 2021, covering 2,690 total decisions. His approval rate rose from 73% in 2016 to 84% by 2018. Since that peak, the rate has remained consistent, holding at 81% through the most recent data window. This pattern suggests a stable approach to evaluating your evidence and medical documentation.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Ciccolini'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.
Reading this because a claim was denied? Decode the letter — what the sentence means, what to file, and by when.
About the Akron OH hearing office
The Akron OH hearing office serves you throughout the region, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With 13 judges on record, the office functions as a hub for the Social Security Administration in Ohio. You can expect a formal process focused on the medical and vocational evidence presented in your file. See the /disability-benefits/hearing-offices/akron-OH 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. There are 13 judges on record at this office since 2016, 7 of whom are reported in the latest SSA data. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 43% to 80% over their respective careers.
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 Ciccolini has an 80% lifetime approval rate, which is at the high end of the 43% to 80% range seen among his peers at the Akron OH office. Because every case involves unique medical evidence, an attorney can help you prepare your case to meet the specific standards of this hearing office.
His approval rate rose from 73% in 2016 to a peak of 84% in 2018, before stabilizing at 81% in recent years. This consistency is a helpful data point, though an attorney can help you understand how your specific medical evidence aligns with current trends.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration uses an automated, random workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to ensure fairness. An attorney can help you prepare for the hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your file.
While an 80% lifetime approval rate is a useful metric, it is not a guarantee of how Judge Ciccolini will rule on your specific claim. Your outcome depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence, and an attorney can help you ensure your file is complete.