Approval rates
Comparing a judge's historical approval rate to the broader office and national averages provides important context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Fitzpatrick maintains a 74% lifetime approval rate, which stands in contrast to the 55% office average and the 58% national average for the latest reporting period. These statistics are derived from a docket of 1,547 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting individual hearing outcomes.
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 Fitzpatrick'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
During his 1 year on the bench, Judge Fitzpatrick has maintained a 74% approval rate across 1,547 lifetime decisions. This consistency suggests a stable approach to evaluating disability claims. The data reflects his past approach to evidence and testimony.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Fitzpatrick'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 Fitzpatrick? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Philadelphia hearing office
The Philadelphia Hearing Office serves a large population across Pennsylvania, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges currently on the bench, the office handles a diverse caseload. The office maintains an average approval rate of 55%, which serves as a benchmark for local proceedings. You can visit the Philadelphia Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is random. Within the Philadelphia Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges whose lifetime approval rates range from 41% to 74%. Because individual judges may weigh evidence differently, understanding the office-wide environment is useful for your preparation.
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.