Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes. While your judge's 66% approval rate reflects his entire record since 2016, his latest-period performance shows a 74% approval rate, which sits 8 points above the office average of 66%. These figures are based on a large volume of 4,242 decisions, providing a look at past trends.
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 Johannes'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
Since 2016, the approval rate for Ryan Johannes has shown an overall upward trend. After some fluctuation in the middle years, the rate has climbed steadily, reaching 75% in 2025 and holding at 74% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. This latest performance is higher than the long-term average of 66%.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Johannes'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.
About the Fort Myers FL hearing office
Ryan Johannes's most recent office on record is the Fort Myers FL hearing office, with decisions there through July 2026. This office serves the Florida region and maintains a bench of 7 judges. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 66%, providing a benchmark for the local hearing environment.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Fort Myers FL
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you draw is essentially random. There are 7 judges whose most recent office on record is this one. Approval rates among this bench range from 38% to 70% on their since-2016 records.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Judge Johannes has an approval rate of 74% in the latest reporting period, which is 8 points higher than the 66% average for the Fort Myers FL office. Because case assignment is random, an attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Yes, the approval rate for Ryan Johannes has trended upward over time. While the rate on record since 2016 is 66%, the most recent data shows a 74% approval rate. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific claim.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare for the hearing process regardless of the judge assigned to your case.
An approval rate is a probability based on past decisions, not a guarantee for your specific hearing. Judge Johannes has approved 66% of the 4,242 cases on his record since 2016. An attorney can help you evaluate the strengths of your evidence to ensure your case is presented effectively.
