Approval rates
Judge Dziepak maintains a lifetime approval rate of 56% across 21,479 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 54%, which sits 1 point below the Lawrence MA office average of 57% and 2 points below the national average of 58%. This data provides a high-confidence look at his historical decision-making tendencies. 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 Dziepak'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 a decade on the bench, Judge Dziepak has seen his approval rates fluctuate. After a peak of 61% in 2017, the rate shifted, reaching 50% in 2023 before showing a recent recovery to 55% in 2025. This trend indicates that while his approach has evolved, he remains consistent with his long-term career average. These shifts often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of medical evidence presented in the courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Dziepak'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 Dziepak? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Lawrence MA hearing office
The Lawrence MA Hearing Office serves a significant population across Massachusetts, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a steady workflow to address your needs. The office-wide latest approval rate of 57% reflects the regional standards for disability adjudication. You can visit the Lawrence MA Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Lawrence MA office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 46% to 73%. This variance highlights why understanding the general environment of your hearing office is useful. You can find more information on the Lawrence MA 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.