Approval rates
Judge Johnston maintains an approval rate that consistently exceeds regional and national benchmarks. In the latest reporting period, his approval rate sat 33 percentage points above the Tampa OHO average and 33 percentage points above the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 19,358 lifetime decisions accumulated over his 7 years on the bench. 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 Johnston'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
Throughout his tenure, Judge Johnston has maintained a stable approval rate. His yearly performance shows consistent results, with annual approval rates between 89% and 92% since 2016. This steadiness suggests a predictable approach to evaluating evidence and medical documentation. The latest period reflects a continuation of this long-term pattern, indicating that his decision-making process remains consistent.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Johnston'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 Johnston? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Tampa hearing office
The Tampa OHO serves a large population across Florida, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 3 judges, the office handles a diverse range of medical and vocational evidence. The office-wide latest approval rate currently stands at 58%, reflecting the broader regional trends in disability adjudication. You can see the Tampa OHO 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. Within the Tampa OHO, lifetime approval rates among the 3 judges range from 31% to 91%. Because the judge you draw is a matter of chance, understanding the office-wide environment is as important as looking at one individual's statistics.
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.