Approval rates
Judge Cynthia S. Harmon maintains a lifetime approval rate of 54% based on 24,282 decisions rendered over her 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate reached 59%, which compares to the Grand Rapids office average of 58% and the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the judge's historical decision-making environment. 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 Harmon'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 her 10 years on the bench, Judge Cynthia S. Harmon has presided over 24,282 decisions. Her yearly approval trend shows a notable evolution, starting with a 76% rate in 2016 followed by a period of lower approval rates between 2017 and 2018. Since 2019, the trend has shifted toward a steady increase, culminating in a 60% approval rate during the 2024 and 2025 reporting periods. This recent uptick reflects a consistent pattern of adjudication that aligns more closely with current national averages.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Harmon'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 Harmon? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Grand Rapids hearing office
The Grand Rapids Hearing Office serves you across Michigan, managing a high volume of disability appeals with a bench of 6 ALJs. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 58%, reflecting the broader regional trends in disability adjudication. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 43% to 66%. While these differences exist, the fundamental requirements for proving disability remain consistent across all courtrooms. You can review the Grand Rapids Hearing Office page for more information on the local bench.
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.