Approval rates
Judge Tepley maintains an approval rate that currently tracks 11 percentage points below the national average. Over the most recent reporting period, the approval rate stood at 44%, compared to the 57% average seen across the Columbus Hearing Office. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 5,714 lifetime decisions accumulated over three years on the bench. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than individual hearing outcomes.
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 Tepley'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 joining the bench in 2023, Judge Tepley has seen a shift in approval trends. The data shows an approval rate of 54% in 2023, which moved to 51% in 2024, and 41% in 2025. This trend indicates that recent decisions have become more conservative relative to earlier years. This pattern reflects a tightening in approval outcomes that may be influenced by changes in the types of cases or the quality of evidence presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Tepley'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 Tepley? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Columbus hearing office
The Columbus Hearing Office serves a broad population across Ohio, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of six judges, the office maintains an overall approval rate of 57%. You should expect a rigorous review of your medical documentation and vocational evidence. You can visit the Columbus 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 Tepley is essentially random. Within the Columbus Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 47% to 68%. This variance highlights why the specific judge assigned to your case is only one factor in the broader process. You can find more information on the Columbus 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.