Approval rates
Judge Staller maintains a lifetime approval rate of 46%, which provides a baseline for understanding his decision-making history over the last decade. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 49%, placing him 3 percentage points above the current Harrisburg office average of 43%. While these figures offer insight into past performance, they remain lower than the national average of 58%. 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 Staller'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 Staller has presided over 25,305 lifetime decisions. His approval trend has shown notable movement, dipping to a low of 40% in 2018 before trending upward in recent years, reaching 51% in 2025. This shift suggests a more favorable environment for you compared to his earlier tenure. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, indicating that the judge's approach to evidence and testimony has evolved over time.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Staller'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 Staller? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Harrisburg hearing office
The Harrisburg Hearing Office serves a broad population across Pennsylvania, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a focus on processing complex medical and vocational evidence efficiently. If you are appearing here, you should be prepared for a thorough review of your work history and medical records. You can visit the Harrisburg Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Harrisburg office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 29% to 65%. This variance highlights why understanding the specific requirements of the hearing process is vital for you. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent 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.