Approval rates
Judge Klibaner's approval rates are measured against the broader context of the Boston Hearing Office and national standards. In the most recent reporting period, the judge recorded a 63% approval rate, which sits 4 percentage points above the local office average and 1 point above the state average. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 16,694 lifetime decisions accumulated over a decade of service. 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 Klibaner'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 a 10-year tenure, Judge Klibaner has navigated a varied caseload with a consistent approach to disability adjudication. The yearly trend shows fluctuations, with approval rates moving from a high of 72% in 2016 to a low of 45% in 2021, before rebounding to recent levels. This pattern suggests that the judge's decision-making is responsive to shifts in case complexity and medical evidence quality. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady, evidence-focused pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Klibaner'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 Klibaner? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Boston hearing office
The Boston (Massachusetts) Hearing Office serves a large population across the region, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 53%, reflecting the complex nature of the claims processed in this jurisdiction. You can expect a professional environment focused on the rigorous evaluation of medical and vocational evidence. You can see the Boston (Massachusetts) 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 Boston Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 37% to 65%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your medical record is essential regardless of which judge is assigned to your case. The office's 6 ALJs provide a diverse range of perspectives on disability claims.
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.