Approval rates
Judge Sullivan maintains a lifetime approval rate of 72% based on 20,032 decisions rendered over her 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, your approval rate reached 89%, which stands 14 percentage points above the current Tacoma office average and 14 points above the national average. These figures provide a high degree of statistical confidence regarding her historical decision-making tendencies. 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 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
Over your 10 years on the bench, Judge Sullivan has demonstrated a clear upward trend in approval rates. After starting with rates in the mid-60% range, your decision-making pattern shifted significantly starting in 2020, climbing steadily to reach a 91% approval rate in 2025. This recent performance represents a continuation of a long-term trend toward higher allowance rates compared to your earlier career. This pattern suggests a consistent approach to evaluating evidence and medical documentation.
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? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Tacoma hearing office
The Tacoma Hearing Office serves you throughout Washington and the surrounding region. It is staffed by 6 administrative law judges who manage a high volume of disability appeals. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 58%, which serves as a baseline for the region. You can expect a professional environment focused on the thorough review of your medical and vocational evidence. See the Tacoma Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Sullivan is effectively random. Within the Tacoma office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges vary significantly, ranging from 31% to 72%. While these differences exist, the fundamental requirements for proving your disability remain consistent across the entire bench. You can find more information on the Tacoma 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.