Approval rates
Judge Leland maintains a lifetime approval rate of 44% based on 23,253 total decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 54%, which is 9 percentage points below the current Cleveland office average and 14 points below the national average. These figures reflect a decade of judicial activity on the bench.
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 Leland'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 Leland has seen his approval rates fluctuate. After starting with lower approval percentages in the 2016 to 2019 period, his decision patterns shifted upward starting in 2020. The most recent years, including 2024 and 2025, show a sustained period of higher approval activity compared to his earlier career. This recent trend suggests a shift in how evidence is weighed or a change in the types of cases appearing on his docket.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Leland'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 Leland? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Cleveland hearing office
The Cleveland Hearing Office serves you across Northern Ohio, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office handles a diverse range of medical and vocational claims. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and work history. You can see the Cleveland Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Cleveland Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 44% to 65%. While these variations exist, the fundamental requirements for proving disability remain consistent across all courtrooms.
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.