Approval rates
Judge Rubini’s approval rate is measured against the performance of the Elkins Park Hearing Office and national benchmarks. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate outperformed the local office average by 6 percentage points and the state average by 11 percentage points. These figures are derived from a docket of 5,177 lifetime decisions. 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 Rubini'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 4 years on the bench, Judge Rubini has maintained a consistent approach to disability claims. His yearly approval rates have remained stable, showing a slight uptick in the most recent period compared to his earlier years. This trend suggests a steady judicial philosophy that has remained resilient. The latest period reflects a continuation of this stable pattern, providing a baseline for understanding his typical decision-making process.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Rubini'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 Rubini? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Elkins Park hearing office
The Elkins Park Hearing Office serves a diverse population across Pennsylvania, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an environment where case evidence is the primary driver of outcomes. You can expect a professional hearing process focused on the specific medical and vocational facts of your file. You can see the Elkins Park 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. At the Elkins Park Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 50% to 71%. Because case assignment is outside of your control, understanding the general environment of the office is more important than focusing on any single peer. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Elkins Park 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.