Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Kelly's lifetime approval rate of 63% stands 8 percentage points higher than both the Philadelphia office average and the Pennsylvania state average of 55%. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 2,072 lifetime decisions, providing a stable statistical foundation for analysis. 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 Kelly'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 his 2 years on the bench, Judge Kelly has navigated a changing caseload. His yearly trend shows an approval rate of 65% in 2016, followed by 40% in 2017. This movement highlights the importance of case-specific evidence, as fluctuations often stem from changes in the types of medical conditions or documentation presented. These patterns suggest that while historical data provides a baseline, the specific evidence in your file remains the most critical factor in your hearing.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kelly'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 Kelly? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Philadelphia hearing office
The Philadelphia Hearing Office serves a diverse population across Pennsylvania, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 55%, reflecting the complex nature of the cases processed in this region. You can expect a formal hearing environment focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Philadelphia Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Philadelphia Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 41% to 70%. Because every judge operates under the same federal regulations, the core requirements for proving your disability remain consistent regardless of who hears your case.
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.