Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes to ensure accuracy. While Bernard Porter has a 44% approval rate across all 3,788 decisions on record since 2016, recent performance shows a 53% approval rate in the latest reporting period. This latest-period figure sits 2 percentage points above the Jacksonville office average of 51%. These figures reflect past trends rather than predicting your specific outcome.
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 Porter'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
The approval rate for Bernard Porter has shown meaningful variation since January 2016. After starting at 41% in 2016, the rate fluctuated before reaching 53% in the latest reporting period. These patterns help illustrate how evidence and case mix may influence your hearing results.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Porter'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.
About the Jacksonville hearing office
The Jacksonville hearing office serves you and other claimants across Florida and the surrounding region. As of July 2026, it remains the most recent office on record for Bernard Porter and 16 other published judges. You can expect a standard hearing process where the judge evaluates your medical evidence and testimony to determine your eligibility.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Jacksonville
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 17 judges whose most recent office on record is the Jacksonville hearing office, and 10 of them decided cases here in SSA's latest file through July 2026. Approval rates across this bench range from 33% to 78% since 2016.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Bernard Porter has a 44% approval rate on record since 2016. This sits within the 33% to 78% range observed among the 17 judges whose most recent office on record is the Jacksonville hearing office. An attorney can help you understand how to prepare your case for this specific bench.
Yes, the approval rate for Bernard Porter has fluctuated over time. While the rate was 41% in 2016, it reached 53% in the latest reporting period. An attorney can help you evaluate how these trends might relate to the evidence in your case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare for the hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears your testimony. You will have the opportunity to explain how your condition prevents you from working. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and organize your medical evidence to present the strongest case.
A judge's approval rate is a reflection of past decisions and does not guarantee a specific outcome for your hearing. Every case is unique, and the quality of your medical evidence is the most important factor in a favorable decision. An attorney can help you identify the specific evidence needed to support your claim.
