Approval rates
Comparing a judge's history to broader trends provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Westley maintains a lifetime approval rate of 55%, which we measure against the Cleveland Hearing Office latest rate of 53% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from 22,346 lifetime decisions, offering a statistically significant 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 Westley'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 10-year tenure on the bench, Judge Westley has shown a varied approval pattern. While your early years on the bench saw rates in the mid-40s, the trend shifted upward, peaking at 64% in 2023 before stabilizing near 57% in recent reporting periods. This trajectory suggests a judge who has refined their approach to case evaluation over time. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, indicating that the judge's current decision-making remains consistent with their long-term average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Westley'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 Westley? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Cleveland hearing office
The Cleveland Hearing Office serves a large population across Ohio, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges currently on the bench, the office maintains an environment where case evidence and medical documentation are the primary drivers of success. You can expect a formal process focused on the specific criteria defined by the Social Security Administration. See the Cleveland 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 a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Cleveland Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 44% to 65%. Because you cannot choose your judge, understanding the office-wide environment is essential. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.