Approval rates
Evaluating your chances begins with understanding the judge's historical data. Over 10 years on the bench, Judge Sullivan has maintained a 59% approval rate. In the most recent reporting period, his 67% approval rate compares to the Eugene Hearing Office average of 64% and the national average of 58%. 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 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
The career trajectory of Judge Sullivan shows an upward trend in approval rates since 2016. After starting with a 46% approval rate in his first year, the data shows a rise, reaching 71% in 2025. This shift suggests a move toward higher allowance rates compared to his early tenure. The recent data reflects a continuation of this pattern, indicating that his current decision-making process is more favorable than his historical lifetime average.
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.
Hearing with Judge Sullivan? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Eugene hearing office
The Eugene Hearing Office serves you throughout Oregon, managing a high volume of disability cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an environment where evidence quality and medical documentation are the primary drivers of success. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on the specific requirements of the Social Security Administration.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Eugene Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 44% to 81%. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the evidence, the variance across the office is a standard part of the hearing process.
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.