Approval rates
Your judge's 32% lifetime approval rate is measured against the broader context of the Eugene Hearing Office, which maintains a latest approval rate of 64%. Nationally, the average approval rate stands at 58%. These figures represent the outcome of 738 lifetime decisions rendered during your judge's tenure. 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 Karlin'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 one year on the bench, your judge has maintained an approval rate of 32%. This pattern reflects your judge's approach to evaluating evidence and medical documentation during the 2016 reporting period. While your case outcome depends on the specific nature of your impairment and the quality of your medical record, the lifetime data shows a stable trend. This consistency allows you to better understand the evidentiary standards typically applied in this courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Karlin'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 Karlin? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Eugene hearing office
The Eugene Hearing Office serves you and other claimants throughout Oregon and the surrounding region. It is staffed by six judges who manage a high volume of disability claims, with an office-wide latest approval rate of 64%. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical evidence and work history. You can see the Eugene 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 you cannot choose your judge. Within the Eugene Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the six judges range from 32% to 81%. This variance highlights the importance of presenting a comprehensive case regardless of who presides over your hearing. You can find more information on the Eugene Hearing Office page.
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.