Approval rates
Judge Loucas has issued 17,059 lifetime decisions during her 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate was 28%, compared to an office-wide average of 53% and a national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical look at how cases have been decided in this courtroom over time. 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 Loucas'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 decade on the bench, the approval rate for Judge Loucas has fluctuated, showing peaks near 43% in 2018 before trending toward the current 28% level. With 17,059 lifetime decisions, the data reflects a consistent volume of case reviews. The recent period shows a lower approval rate compared to the lifetime average, which may reflect changes in the types of cases or the quality of evidence presented. This pattern suggests a rigorous standard for meeting the evidentiary burden of disability.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Loucas'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 Loucas? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Cleveland hearing office
The Cleveland Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across northern Ohio, managing a high volume of SSDI and SSI cases. The office currently hosts 6 administrative law judges who oversee thousands of hearings annually. With an office-wide approval rate of 53%, the local environment is shaped by the collective experience of the bench. You can see the Cleveland Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the Cleveland Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 35% to 65%. While these variations exist, the fundamental requirements for proving disability remain consistent across all courtrooms. You can view the Cleveland Hearing Office page for more information on the local bench.
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.