Approval rates
In the most recent reporting period, Judge Rose maintained an approval rate of 67%, which is 6 percentage points higher than the Cleveland Hearing Office average of 53%. This performance also exceeds both the state average of 56% and the national average of 58%. With 25,337 lifetime decisions over a 10-year tenure, the data provides a look at his decision-making history. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of 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 Rose'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Rose has shown a stable decision pattern. While his annual approval rates have fluctuated between 54% and 66%, the trend shows a consistent approach to evaluating the merits of each claim. His most recent performance of 67% represents a high point in his career, suggesting a recent shift in case outcomes. This pattern reflects a continuation of his steady approach to the evidence presented in your case.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Rose'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 Rose? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout 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 handles complex disability cases requiring careful medical and vocational analysis. The office-wide latest approval rate is 53%, reflecting the standards applied to all claims in this jurisdiction. You can see the Cleveland (Ohio) Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to Judge Rose is essentially random. Across the Cleveland Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates for the bench range from 44% to 65%. Because each judge operates with different preferences for evidence, your experience may vary depending on who is assigned to your hearing. The guidance for your preparation remains consistent regardless of which judge is 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.