Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for what to expect during your hearing. Judge Thomas maintains a lifetime approval rate of 58% across 1,762 lifetime decisions, which aligns with the national average. While the local Cincinnati office currently reports a 56% approval rate, Judge Thomas sits slightly above this mark. These figures reflect historical trends rather than specific predictions for your 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 Thomas'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 decision pattern for Judge Thomas reflects a consistent approach over your 1 year on the bench. With 1,762 lifetime decisions, the data shows a steady approval rate of 58%. This stability suggests a predictable judicial style that has remained consistent throughout your tenure. The current data indicates that the judge's performance continues to align with their established historical average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Thomas'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 Thomas? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Cincinnati hearing office
The Cincinnati Hearing Office serves a broad population across Ohio, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 56%. You can expect a formal process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Cincinnati 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the Cincinnati bench, lifetime approval rates vary significantly, ranging from 37% to 73% among the 6 judges. This variance highlights why thorough case preparation is vital regardless of who presides over your hearing. You can review the Cincinnati Hearing Office page for more information on the local bench.
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.