Approval rates
Comparing a judge's history to broader benchmarks provides context for your case. Judge Froehlich has maintained a consistent presence in the Jacksonville Hearing Office over his 10-year tenure. While his lifetime approval rate is 38%, his most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 57%. This latest figure is 16 percentage points below the current office average and 20 points below the national average.
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 Froehlich'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Froehlich has issued 20,193 lifetime decisions. His yearly approval trend remained relatively steady between 2016 and 2021, typically hovering in the 27% to 36% range. However, the data reveals a significant shift starting in 2022, where approval rates rose to 50% and have continued to show strength, reaching 55% in 2025. This recent uptick suggests a notable change in the judge's decision-making pattern compared to his earlier career.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Froehlich'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 Froehlich? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Jacksonville hearing office
The Jacksonville Hearing Office serves a large population across Florida, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office operates under the standard Office of Hearings Operations procedures. The office-wide latest approval rate currently sits at 54%, reflecting the regional trends in disability adjudication.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot choose your judge. At the Jacksonville Hearing Office, the bench is composed of 6 judges whose lifetime approval rates range from 38% to 70%. This variance highlights why understanding the local judicial 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.