Approval rates
Judge Ocampo maintains a lifetime approval rate of 64%, which is higher than the 58% national average for Social Security disability hearings. During the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 74%, placing him 6 percentage points above the national benchmark and 2 points above the Orlando office average. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 14,832 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Ocampo'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 9 years on the bench, Judge Ocampo has seen his approval rates fluctuate. After a low of 54% in 2020, the rate climbed to 74% by 2022 and has remained strong, reaching 74% again in 2025. This pattern reflects a shift in how cases are evaluated compared to his earlier tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Ocampo'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 Ocampo? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Orlando hearing office
The Orlando Hearing Office serves a large population across central Florida, managing a high volume of SSDI and SSI claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an approval rate that reflects the regional complexity of disability cases. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can visit the Orlando Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is random. Within the Orlando Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 57% to 64%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focus on the strength of your medical evidence. 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.