Approval rates
Judge Hodgson maintains a lifetime approval rate of 52% based on 15,107 decisions rendered over a decade on the bench. In the most recent reporting period, the approval rate was 42%, which sits 4 percentage points below the Cincinnati office average and 6 points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical snapshot of the judge's history, though they do not account for the unique medical evidence in your specific file.
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 Hodgson'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Hodgson has seen a shift in approval trends. While early years showed higher approval rates, the recent period reflects a 42% approval rate. This follows a period of fluctuation where rates moved from 73% in 2016 to current levels. This trend reflects the judge's application of current SSA standards over time.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hodgson'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 Hodgson? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Cincinnati hearing office
The Cincinnati Hearing Office serves a broad population across Ohio, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 56%. You can expect a formal process where medical evidence is the primary driver of the decision. You can visit the Cincinnati Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Cincinnati bench, lifetime approval rates for judges range from 37% to 73%. Because the judge you draw is outside of your control, focusing on the quality of your medical documentation remains the most effective way to prepare.
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.