Approval rates
Comparing a judge's historical approval rate to regional and national benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge LaBoda’s 89% lifetime approval rate stands in contrast to the Orlando Hearing Office latest average of 62% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from 9,257 lifetime decisions, offering a substantial data set for review. 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 LaBoda'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 5-year tenure, Judge LaBoda has maintained a consistent approval pattern. Yearly data shows rates fluctuating between 86% and 91%, demonstrating a stable approach to case evaluation. The most recent reporting period shows the judge performing 27 points above the office average. This trend suggests a steady judicial philosophy that has remained largely unchanged throughout the judge's time on the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge LaBoda'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 LaBoda? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Orlando hearing office
The Orlando Hearing Office serves a large population in Florida, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office processes cases under the oversight of the Social Security Administration. You can expect a formal hearing environment where the quality of your evidence is the primary driver of success. You can visit the Orlando Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is effectively random. Within the Orlando Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 57% to 89%. Because individual judges may interpret evidence differently, understanding the broader office environment is useful. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.