Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for what to expect at your hearing. Judge Fitzgerald currently holds a 44% approval rate in the latest reporting period, which is 6 points lower than the Jacksonville Hearing Office average of 54%. With a career spanning 19,359 lifetime decisions, this data offers a stable look at historical trends. 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 Fitzgerald'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 Fitzgerald has navigated various shifts in case volume and approval trends. While the approval rate reached as high as 59% in 2017, it saw a period of decline before showing signs of recovery in recent years. The current 44% approval rate reflects a pattern where the judge remains selective regarding the evidence required for a fully favorable decision. These fluctuations often mirror changes in the complexity of cases assigned to the Jacksonville Hearing Office.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Fitzgerald'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 Fitzgerald? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Jacksonville hearing office
The Jacksonville Hearing Office serves a significant population across Florida, managing a high volume of SSDI claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office handles complex disability cases that require thorough medical and vocational evidence. The office-wide latest approval rate of 54% serves as a baseline for the region. You can visit the Jacksonville 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 your assignment to Judge Fitzgerald is essentially random. Across the Jacksonville Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 38% to 70%. Because case assignment is outside of your control, focusing on the strength of your medical documentation is the most effective way to prepare. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.