Approval rates
Judge Porter has presided over 18,253 lifetime decisions during his 9-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate outperformed the Pittsburgh office average by 9 percentage points and the state average by 2 percentage points. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases have been decided in his courtroom. 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 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
Over the last 9 years, the approval rate for Judge Porter has shown consistent patterns with yearly fluctuations. His decisions have remained aligned with his career average. The most recent data from 2024 shows a 63% approval rate, compared to the 57% observed in 2023. This recent period reflects a continuation of his established decision-making approach.
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.
Hearing with Judge Porter? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Pittsburgh hearing office
The Pittsburgh Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Pennsylvania and the surrounding region. It manages a significant volume of cases with a bench of 6 ALJs. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 48%, which serves as a local benchmark for the region. You can visit the Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh bench, lifetime approval rates for judges range from 28% to 57%. Because case assignment is outside of your control, focusing on the quality of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare. The guidance for your hearing 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.