Approval rates
Judge Fulton maintains a lifetime approval rate of 47%, which reflects his decision-making history over 7 years on the bench. When looking at the most recent reporting period, his approval rate sits 6 percentage points below the Boston Hearing Office average and 11 percentage points below the national average. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 12,830 lifetime decisions. 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 Fulton'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 tenure, Judge Fulton's approval rate has remained relatively steady, typically hovering near the 47% to 48% range for most of his career. While the data shows a shift in the most recent reporting period, this may reflect changes in case complexity or the specific medical evidence presented. His consistent volume of decisions suggests a stable approach to evaluating your disability claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Fulton'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 Fulton? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Boston hearing office
The Boston Hearing Office serves a large population across Massachusetts and the surrounding region, managing a high volume of SSDI and SSI claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 53%. You can expect a professional environment where thorough documentation is essential for a favorable outcome. You can see the Boston 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Boston Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 37% to 65%. Because of this variance, focus on the strength of your medical evidence rather than the specific judge assigned. You can find more information on the Boston 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.