Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance requires looking at both their lifetime history and their most recent activity. Judge Koster has maintained a consistent presence on the bench for 10 years, providing a substantial dataset of 14,593 lifetime decisions. While his latest approval rate of 63% provides a snapshot of current trends, it is important to view this against the broader context of the Jacksonville Hearing Office and national averages. 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 Koster'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 10-year tenure, Judge Koster has demonstrated a clear upward trend in approval rates. Starting at 39% in 2016, his favorable decision frequency has climbed steadily, reaching 65% in 2025. This shift suggests a consistent evolution in how he evaluates evidence or case types over time. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, moving away from his earlier, more conservative baseline. This trend pattern provides insight into the judge's long-term approach to disability adjudication.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Koster'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 Koster? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Jacksonville hearing office
The Jacksonville Hearing Office serves a large population across Florida, managing a high volume of SSDI claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 54%, which serves as a baseline for the region. You should expect a formal process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can see the Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville Hearing Office, approval rates among the 6 judges vary significantly, ranging from 38% to 70% over their respective careers. Because you cannot choose your judge, understanding the office-wide environment is as important as reviewing an individual's history. You can view the full office roster on the Jacksonville 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.