Approval rates
Evaluating a judge's history requires looking at the broader context of their tenure. Judge Dominick has maintained a 52% lifetime approval rate, which compares against the latest office-wide performance of 46% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 16,328 decisions, providing a reliable statistical foundation for your analysis. 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 Dominick'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 9 years on the bench, Judge Dominick has shown a shift in his decision-making trajectory. While his early years saw approval rates hovering in the mid-40s, the trend line moved upward significantly starting in 2022, reaching a peak of 60% in 2023. Recent data shows the rate stabilizing between 56% and 57%. This pattern suggests a shift in case outcomes that may reflect changes in the complexity of the evidence presented or evolving internal guidance.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Dominick'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 scheduled?
About the Wilkes Barre hearing office
The Wilkes Barre Hearing Office serves a broad population across Pennsylvania, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest-period approval rate of 46%. You should expect a professional environment focused on the rigorous application of 20 CFR Part 404 standards. You can see the Wilkes Barre Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Wilkes Barre Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary widely, ranging from 29% to 59%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your own medical evidence is the most effective strategy. You can view the full roster of judges on the Wilkes Barre Hearing Office page.
Your odds change dramatically 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.