Approval rates
Judge Shailer maintains an approval rate that outpaces regional and national benchmarks. In the latest reporting period, his rate stood 24 percentage points above the Columbus office average and 23 points above the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 2,541 lifetime decisions spanning his 4-year tenure. 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 Shailer'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 Shailer has demonstrated a high approval frequency. While he maintained an 85% approval rate in 2016, the most recent reporting period shows a rate of 57%. This transition reflects a change in the volume and nature of cases processed. The recent trend indicates a stabilization toward current office norms, suggesting that your case-specific evidence remains the most critical factor in your outcome.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Shailer'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 Shailer? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Columbus hearing office
The Columbus (Ohio) Hearing Office serves a large population, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office processes cases with an average approval rate of 57%. When you appear here, expect a thorough review of your medical records and vocational evidence. You can visit the Columbus (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 you cannot choose your judge. Within the Columbus Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 49% to 81%. Because assignment is essentially random, you may find yourself before any member of this bench. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent regardless of which judge is assigned to your file.
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.