Approval rates
Comparing a judge's history to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge Stanley maintains a 57% lifetime approval rate, which is 14 percentage points lower than the latest office average of 71%, though it remains 2 percentage points higher than the state average of 55%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 15,576 lifetime decisions, offering a look at his historical approach. 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 Stanley'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 7 years on the bench, Judge Stanley has presided over 15,576 lifetime decisions. His yearly approval trend shows a shift, starting at 61% in 2016 and moving to 50% in 2022. While there have been fluctuations, the data reflects a consistent approach to evaluating evidence. The recent period shows a divergence from his long-term average, which may stem from changes in the types of cases assigned to his docket. This pattern suggests a judge who evaluates each claim based on the specific medical evidence you present.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Stanley'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 Stanley? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Seven Fields hearing office
The Seven Fields Hearing Office serves a broad population across Pennsylvania, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 71%. You can expect a professional environment focused on the rigorous documentation of your medical impairments. You can see the Seven Fields Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Seven Fields Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Stanley is essentially random. Across the office's bench of 6 judges, lifetime approval rates range from 54% to 71%. Because every judge at this office operates under the same federal regulations, the variance in approval rates is a natural feature of the system. You can find more information on the Seven Fields 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.