Approval rates
Judge Rini maintains a lifetime approval rate of 63% across 936 lifetime decisions. When compared to the latest reporting period, her performance stands 10 percentage points above the Cleveland Hearing Office average and 5 percentage points above the national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases are processed in this jurisdiction. 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 Rini'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 2-year tenure, Judge Rini has shown a notable shift in her approval patterns. Starting with a 58% approval rate in 2016, the data indicates a rise to 76% in 2017. This trajectory suggests an evolution in how evidence is weighed or a change in the specific mix of cases assigned to her docket. Such trends are common as judges settle into their roles and refine their approach to complex disability claims.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Rini'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 Rini? A free benefit check tells you if you qualify.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Cleveland hearing office
The Cleveland Hearing Office serves a large population across Ohio, managing a high volume of Social Security Disability Insurance claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 53%. You should be prepared for rigorous documentation requirements and standard procedural timelines. See the Cleveland 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 Cleveland Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 44% to 65%. Because of this variance, understanding the broader office environment is as important as looking at any single judge. You can find more information on the Cleveland 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.