Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes to understand how you perform relative to your peers. While the office bench ranges from 33% to 72% in approval rates since 2016, recent data shows John Kooser at a 77% approval rate in the latest period. This latest-period performance sits 7 points above the office average of 70%, 23 points above the state average of 54%, and 19 points above the national average of 58%.
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 Kooser'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, John Kooser has issued 4,067 decisions on record. His yearly approval trend shows a period of fluctuation followed by a recent rise, with the latest-period approval rate of 77% diverging from his long-term average. This recent uptick may reflect changes in case mix or evidence quality.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kooser'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 Seven Fields hearing office
John Kooser's most recent office on record is the Seven Fields hearing office, which serves you across Pennsylvania. This office is part of a broader regional network handling a high volume of disability appeals. With 10 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, the office maintains an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 70%.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Seven Fields
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you draw is essentially random. There are 10 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, and 6 of them decided cases here in the latest file through July 2026. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 33% to 72% since 2016.
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
John Kooser has a 72% approval rate on record since 2016, which is at the top of the range for the 10 judges whose most recent office on record is this one. Because case assignment is random, an attorney can help you prepare your case to meet the specific evidentiary standards of this hearing office.
Yes, his approval rate has shifted over time, starting at 71% in 2016 and reaching 77% in the most recent fiscal year-to-date period. Understanding these trends is part of how an attorney can help you prepare for your specific hearing.
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 your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
An approval rate is a probability based on past decisions, not a guarantee of how John Kooser will rule on your specific claim. Your medical evidence and testimony are the most important factors in your hearing, and an attorney can help you organize these to best support your application.
