Approval rates
Judge Pillion maintains a lifetime approval rate of 75%, which is 17 percentage points higher than the current national average of 58%. When compared to the Johnstown Hearing Office latest average of 53%, Judge Pillion's recent decisions show a distinct pattern of allowance. These statistics are derived from a docket of 10,279 lifetime decisions accumulated over 7 years on the bench. 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 Pillion'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 7-year tenure, your judge's approval rate has shown an upward trajectory. Starting at 59% in 2016, the rate climbed, reaching a peak of 85% in 2021 before settling at 81% in 2022. This trend reflects how evidence has been weighed over 10,279 lifetime decisions. The recent period reflects a continuation of this high-approval pattern, which remains above the office-wide average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Pillion'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 Pillion? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Johnstown hearing office
The Johnstown Hearing Office serves a broad population across Pennsylvania, managing a high volume of SSDI claims. With an office-wide latest approval rate of 53%, the environment is one where evidence quality is paramount. You can expect a formal process focused on medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can see the Johnstown Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Johnstown Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges vary significantly, ranging from 32% to 81%. Because of this variance, the judge you draw can influence the procedural flow of your hearing. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the 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.