Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to regional and national benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Stroup maintains a 74% lifetime approval rate, which stands higher than the Denver Hearing Office average of 62% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 1,496 lifetime decisions. 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 Stroup'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
During 1 year on the bench, Judge Stroup has maintained a consistent pattern of approvals. With 1,496 lifetime decisions, the data reflects a steady approach to evaluating your disability claim. The 74% approval rate remains a primary indicator of this judge's historical decision-making tendencies. This consistency suggests that the judge's approach to evidence and testimony has remained stable throughout their tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Stroup'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 Stroup? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Denver hearing office
The Denver Hearing Office serves a broad population across Colorado, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 62%, reflecting the complex nature of the cases heard in this region. You can expect a formal process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Denver 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Denver Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary, ranging from 45% to 74%. Because of this variance, understanding the broader office environment is as important as looking at any single judge. You can find more information on the Denver 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.