Approval rates
The approval rate for Judge Hillegas stands at 66% over his 2,919 lifetime decisions. When compared to the latest reporting period, his rate is 11 percentage points higher than the Philadelphia office average of 55% and 8 points above the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant volume of cases, providing a stable view of his historical decision-making. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Hillegas'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 1 year on the bench, Judge Hillegas has maintained an approval rate of 66%. This pattern reflects a steady approach to evaluating disability claims throughout his tenure. Because his lifetime rate remains stable, the data suggests a consistent approach to how you may be evaluated during your upcoming hearing.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hillegas'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 Hillegas? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Philadelphia hearing office
The Philadelphia Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Pennsylvania and the surrounding region. It manages a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges, maintaining an office-wide latest approval rate of 55%. You can expect a professional environment where the focus remains on the medical and vocational evidence you present. You can visit the Philadelphia Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Philadelphia Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 41% to 70%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your own medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.