Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent data windows. While your judge's overall approval rate sits at 53% across 2,798 decisions since 2017, recent performance shows a 58% approval rate in the latest reporting period. This latest-period figure is 3 percentage points lower than the Elkins Park office average of 61%, but 4 points higher than the state average of 54%.
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 Silverman'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
Since November 2017, your judge's approval rate has fluctuated, starting at 63% in 2018 before reaching 44% in 2020. Recent years show a return to higher approval levels, with the latest period reaching 58% as of July 2026. This trend reflects a shift from the lower rates observed during the middle of the recorded window.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Silverman'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.
About the Elkins Park hearing office
The Elkins Park hearing office is the most recent office on record for 24 judges, with the last recorded decision there in July 2026. This office maintains a latest-period approval rate of 61%.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Elkins Park
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 24 judges whose most recent office on record is the Elkins Park office. Approval rates among these peers range from 45% to 82% on their records since 2016.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Marc Silverman's 53% approval rate on record since 2017 sits within the broader range of 45% to 82% observed among the 24 judges at the Elkins Park office. Because case assignment is random, an attorney can help you prepare for the specific evidentiary requirements of this judge's bench.
Yes, the data shows a dynamic trend. After an approval rate of 63% in 2018, the rate declined to 44% in 2020 before trending upward to 58% in the most recent reporting period. An attorney can help you understand how these shifts might relate to your specific case evidence.
No. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. You cannot choose your judge, but a qualified attorney can help you prepare your case to meet the standards of any judge at the Elkins Park office.
A hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical evidence and hears testimony. Having an attorney can help you organize your medical records and prepare your testimony to ensure your case is presented clearly.
