Approval rates
The following table compares the approval rate of Richard E. Guida against the Harrisburg Hearing Office, Pennsylvania state, and national averages over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. With 4,569 total decisions on record since 2016, these figures provide a statistical look at his recent activity.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Guida'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
Since 2016, Richard E. Guida has issued 4,569 decisions. His approval rate has fluctuated over this period, with his 23% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, sitting below his 29% average since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Guida'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.
About the Harrisburg hearing office
The Harrisburg Hearing Office is the most recent office on record for Richard E. Guida as of July 2026. The office maintained a 43% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Harrisburg
The Social Security Administration assigns cases randomly. Among the 5 judges who decided cases at the Harrisburg Hearing Office in SSA's latest file, approval rates range from 23% to 55% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Guida's 23%. Two of them last decided cases in Pennsylvania. With too few close matches there, the rest come from other regions.
- 20% Approval rate, last 12 months Michelle Wolfe
- 28% Approval rate, last 12 months Leslie Perry-Dowdell
- 23% Approval rate, last 12 months Joseph G. Hajjar
- 23% Approval rate, last 12 months Laurie H. Porciello
- 23% Approval rate, last 12 months Cecilia LaCara
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Guida and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, his 23% approval rate sits at the lower end of the 23% to 55% range observed among the 5 judges active at the Harrisburg Hearing Office in the latest SSA file. An attorney can help you prepare your case for the specific requirements of this bench.
He has a 29% approval rate on his 4,569 decisions recorded since 2016. His 23% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, is lower than his overall average since 2016. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific claim.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a random workload-balancing algorithm. Regardless of your assigned judge, an attorney can help you prepare your case.
An SSDI hearing is a formal proceeding where you, your attorney, and potentially a vocational or medical expert appear before an ALJ. The judge reviews the evidence and asks questions to determine if you meet the criteria for disability benefits. An attorney can help you present your evidence effectively during this process.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Every case is unique, and the strength of your medical evidence is the most important factor. An attorney can help you evaluate your case and prepare for the hearing.
