Approval rates
Judge Downs maintains a lifetime approval rate of 31% based on 18,092 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate was 31%, which is 27 percentage points lower than the 58% average seen at the national level. These figures are drawn from docket data, providing a view of historical decision-making patterns. 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 Downs'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 your 10 years on the bench, Judge Downs has seen approval rates fluctuate within a consistent range. After reaching a high of 40% in 2017, the rate adjusted and has held relatively steady in recent years, hovering between 27% and 32% since 2022. This pattern suggests a stable approach to case evaluation throughout her tenure. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, indicating that her current decision-making remains aligned with her long-term historical average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Downs'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 Downs? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Tampa Oho hearing office
The Tampa OHO Hearing Office serves a large volume of claimants across Florida, managing a high caseload typical of major metropolitan hubs. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 58%, reflecting the diverse nature of the claims processed in this region. You can expect a formal process focused on the medical and vocational evidence presented in your files. You can see the Tampa OHO 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. Within the Tampa OHO office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 31% to 91%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving disability remain the same regardless of who oversees your hearing. You can find more information on the office's general performance trends on the 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.