Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes. While your judge's overall 59% approval rate on record since 2016 provides a long-term view, his latest-period approval rate is 62%. This latest figure sits 4 points above the office average and 4 points above the national average for the same period. With 4,204 decisions on record, the data offers a stable baseline for understanding his decision-making history.
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 Sullivan'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 2016, your judge's approval rate has shown variation, starting at 45% and reaching a peak of 71% in 2022. Following that high, the rate has trended toward a more moderate level, with the most recent fiscal year-to-date period showing a 62% approval rate. This latest period reflects a continuation of a pattern where his decisions remain consistently aligned with or slightly above regional and national benchmarks.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Sullivan'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 Eugene hearing office
John D. Sullivan's most recent office on record is the Eugene hearing office, which serves the Oregon region. This office maintains a bench of 10 judges, and the office-wide latest-period approval rate is 58%. You can expect a standard hearing process where evidence quality remains the primary factor in your outcome.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Eugene
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 10 judges whose most recent office on record is this one. Their approval rates on record since 2016 range from 32% to 81%. Preparation remains the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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
John D. Sullivan has an approval rate of 59% on record since 2016. Across the 10 judges whose most recent office on record is the Eugene hearing office, approval rates range from 32% to 81%. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this bench.
Yes, the rate has fluctuated over time. It began at 45% in 2016 and reached 71% in 2022 before settling at 62% in the most recent reporting period. Understanding these trends is part of how an attorney can help you evaluate your case strategy.
No. The Social Security Administration assigns cases via a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence with the help of a qualified attorney.
The 59% approval rate on record since 2016 is a statistical observation of past performance, not a guarantee of a specific outcome. Every case is unique, and an attorney can help you determine how to best present your evidence to meet the requirements of the law.
