Approval rates
Judge Geib has issued 20,994 decisions over his 10-year tenure. While his lifetime approval rate is 49%, recent reporting shows a 58% approval rate in the latest period. This remains 9 percentage points below the national average and 19 points below the local office average. 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 Geib'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 Geib has seen fluctuations in his approval patterns. After a period of lower approvals between 2018 and 2022, the data shows an upward trend starting in 2023, reaching 60% in 2024. This recent shift suggests a move toward higher allowance rates compared to his historical average. These trends 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 Geib'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 Geib? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Portland OR hearing office
The Portland OR Hearing Office serves a large population across Oregon, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide approval rate that often exceeds national benchmarks. You can expect a rigorous review process where your medical documentation is the primary driver of success. You can see the Portland OR 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 you cannot choose your judge. At the Portland OR Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 49% to 76%. This variance highlights why understanding the specific tendencies of your assigned judge is a standard part of your hearing preparation. You can find more information on the Portland OR 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.