Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes. This judge's 51% approval rate on record since 2016 provides a broad view of past decisions, while latest-period data allows for a more current comparison against the Cleveland office and national benchmarks. With 3,838 decisions on record, the data offers a stable look at past outcomes.
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 Kearney'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 January 2016, Keith J. Kearney has issued 3,838 decisions. The yearly trend shows a period of fluctuation followed by an increase in approval rates starting in 2022, with the rate reaching 60% in 2024 before settling at 55% in the most recent partial year. This pattern suggests that your judge's recent decisions have trended slightly above his long-term average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kearney'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 Cleveland hearing office
Keith J. Kearney's most recent office on record is the Cleveland hearing office, with decisions there through July 2026. This office serves the surrounding region in Ohio and maintains a bench of 22 judges. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 51%, providing a baseline for local outcomes.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Cleveland
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 22 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with 11 of them deciding cases here in the latest SSA file. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 17% 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
Keith J. Kearney's 51% approval rate on record since 2016 sits within the 17% to 70% range observed among the 22 judges whose most recent office on record is Cleveland. An attorney can help you understand how to prepare your case for this specific bench.
Yes, the approval rate for Keith J. Kearney has shifted over time, starting at 44% in 2016 and reaching 60% in 2024. The most recent partial-year data shows an approval rate of 55%. A qualified attorney can help you evaluate how these trends might relate to your specific evidence.
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 a hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where you, your attorney, and potentially a vocational or medical expert testify before the judge. The judge will review your medical records and testimony to determine if you meet the criteria for disability. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and organize your medical evidence.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your case's success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence and how well it aligns with SSA requirements. An attorney can help you build a strong case to present to the judge.
