Approval rates
Judge Hollo maintains a lifetime approval rate of 58% across her docket. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate was 58%, which is 2 percentage points below the current Elkins Park office average of 60% but 3 percentage points above the state average of 55%. These figures provide a view of her decision history, though they do not predict the outcome of your specific 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 Hollo'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-year tenure, Judge Hollo has presided over 19,872 lifetime decisions. Her yearly approval trend shows a period of adjustment early in her career, followed by a steady pattern. While her approval rate fluctuated between 49% and 65% over the last several years, the latest period reflects a continuation of this long-term pattern. This consistency suggests a judge who applies a predictable standard to the evidence presented in your case.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hollo'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 Hollo? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Elkins Park hearing office
The Elkins Park Hearing Office serves a large population across Pennsylvania, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 60%. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Elkins Park 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 Judge Hollo is essentially random. Across the 6 judges at the Elkins Park office, lifetime approval rates range from 50% to 71%. Because case assignment is outside of your control, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare for your hearing.
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.