Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is useful to compare a judge's historical performance against broader benchmarks. Judge Strauss currently holds an approval rate that exceeds the Elkins Park Hearing Office average by 7 percentage points and the national average by 9 percentage points. These figures are derived from a docket of 6,130 lifetime decisions, providing a stable sample size for analysis. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Strauss'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 her 3 years on the bench, Judge Strauss has maintained a consistent approach to disability adjudication. Her approval rates remained steady between 67% and 68% during her first two years, with a slight adjustment in the most recent reporting period. This pattern suggests a judge who evaluates evidence with a stable methodology. The recent data reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, which remains above the state and national averages.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Strauss'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 Strauss? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Elkins Park hearing office
The Elkins Park Hearing Office serves a large population across Pennsylvania, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office handles complex cases requiring detailed medical and vocational evidence. You can expect a formal environment where the quality of documentation is paramount to a successful outcome. You can visit the Elkins Park 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Elkins Park Hearing Office, the bench includes 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 50% to 71%. Because the assignment process is automated, you cannot request a specific judge. Preparation remains the same regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
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.