Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge Holappa has maintained a 53% lifetime approval rate over his 9-year career. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 55%, which is 9 percentage points lower than the Denver Hearing Office average of 62%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 17,338 lifetime decisions. 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 Holappa'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 9 years on the bench, Judge Holappa has demonstrated a stable decision-making pattern. His annual approval rates have fluctuated within a moderate range, starting at 48% in 2017 and reaching 57% in 2024. With 17,338 lifetime decisions behind him, his recent performance remains consistent with his long-term average. This stability suggests a predictable approach to evaluating your evidence and medical testimony.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Holappa'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.
Have a hearing with Judge Holappa? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Denver hearing office
The Denver Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Colorado and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of ALJs who manage a high volume of disability claims. The office currently reports an approval rate of 62%, reflecting the local environment for SSDI hearings. You can expect a formal process focused on the documentation of your impairments. See the Denver Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. The Denver Hearing Office bench consists of 6 judges, with lifetime approval rates ranging from 45% to 62%. Because every judge brings a unique perspective to the courtroom, you should focus on the strength of your medical evidence. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains 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.