Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to office and national benchmarks provides a helpful perspective on the local hearing environment. Judge Ulan's lifetime approval rate of 72% stands higher than the current 61% average at the Washington office and the 58% national average. These figures are derived from 4,539 lifetime decisions, offering a look at past trends. 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 Ulan'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 a 4-year tenure, Judge Ulan's approval patterns have shown some variance. After starting at 70% in 2016, the rate reached 75% in 2017 and 2018 before shifting to 68% in 2019. This trend reflects a period of high approval consistency followed by an adjustment in the most recent reporting cycle. Such shifts are common and often relate to changes in the complexity of cases or the evidence presented during those years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Ulan'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 Ulan? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Washington hearing office
The Washington (District of Columbia) Hearing Office serves the local region and manages a volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office currently maintains an approval rate of 61%. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Washington (District of Columbia) Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the Washington hearing office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 33% to 72%. This range highlights why your case requires a unique strategy tailored to the specific medical evidence you provide. You can find more information on the Washington (District of Columbia) 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.