Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks helps you understand the environment of your upcoming hearing. Judge Prince currently holds a 78% approval rate in the latest reporting period, which is 17 points higher than the Cincinnati office average and 15 points above the national average. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 20,794 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting your individual hearing 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 Prince'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, Judge Prince has shown a consistent trend in approval patterns. While the rate fluctuated between 63% and 81% annually, the trajectory has trended upward in recent years, reaching 81% in 2024. The latest reporting period approval rate of 78% remains above the lifetime average of 73%. This stability suggests a predictable approach to evaluating evidence, though recent shifts may reflect changes in the complexity of cases assigned to the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Prince'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 Prince? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Cincinnati hearing office
The Cincinnati Hearing Office serves a large population across Ohio, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an approval rate that reflects the diverse nature of the cases heard in this region. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Cincinnati Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Cincinnati office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 37% to 73%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focusing on the quality of your medical evidence remains the most effective strategy for your hearing.
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.