Approval rates
Judge Roscoe maintains a lifetime approval rate of 29% based on 13,040 decisions. When compared to the latest reporting period, his rate remains distinct from the Cleveland office average of 53% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant volume of cases, providing a stable look at historical trends. 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 Roscoe'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 his 7 years on the bench, your judge's approval rate has fluctuated. After starting with rates of 39% in 2016, the data shows a shift in recent years, with the most recent period reflecting a continuation of a lower, more stable pattern. This trend is based on 13,040 lifetime decisions and suggests a consistent approach to case evaluation. The recent data points indicate that the judge's current decision-making remains steady compared to his earlier tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Roscoe'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 Roscoe? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Cleveland hearing office
The Cleveland (Ohio) Hearing Office serves a large population across the region, managing a high volume of SSDI claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 53%, reflecting the complex nature of the cases heard in this jurisdiction. You can expect a formal process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. Visit the Cleveland 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Cleveland office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 29% to 65%. Because of this variance, understanding the landscape of the office is helpful for your preparation. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same 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.