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Judge Ratings for Akron OH Social Security Hearings (Nov 2024)

November 1, 2024 Disability

The Quality of Akron OH Social Security Hearing Judges

Not great news if you have a Social Security Disability Hearing in Akron! Akron OH Social Security Hearing Judges have below average case approval ratings. The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and as you can see from the table below, Akron OH Judges are below average, namely 53%. Could be better! It appears that in Akron OH half the judges are at or below average and half are above average. Nothing to get excited about! However, the good news is that they are all at or over 40%. We don’t count a judge with less than 50 dispositions, “dispositions” meaning decisions plus dismissals. See the note below.

This page is for Akron OH Social Security Hearings, in other words, for people who live in or near Akron (Downtown), Akron (West), Canton, Medina, New Philadelphia, Ravenna, Warren, Wooster, or Youngstown. For other locations in Ohio click on:

Judge Ratings for Akron OH Social Security Hearings

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Akron OH Social Security Hearing for Disability or SSI scheduled in the Office of Hearing Operations (OHO)? Do you want to know everything you can about the where, why and how of the hearing itself? You’re not alone, most of our clients desperately want to know every detail of their Disability Hearing so that they have the best chance of winning. You might have a hearing in Akron OH if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or near Akron (Downtown), Akron (West), Canton, Medina, New Philadelphia, Ravenna, Warren, Wooster, or Youngstown. The Akron OH Social Security Hearing office is on South Main Street a block away from Akron Civic Theatre and a few blocks away from Canal Park. Go RubberDucks! You can find the name of your judge on a hearing scheduled notice or call the number for the hearing office (at the bottom of this page). Here are all the judges’ statistics and other information that you need, and if you’re looking for a Disability Lawyer serving Akron OH, don’t hesitate to call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.

Judges’ Statistics

The following table is up to date as of October 2024:

Judge

Percent Approved

Total Dispositions

Aliberti, Louis

0%

1

Balter, Michael N

56%

169

Beatty, Gregory M

48%

404

Cendrosky, Sharlee

54%

254

Lohr, Mary

60%

320

Panek, Jason

44%

444

Raeber, Jeffrey

60%

159

Schmitz, Michael F

51%

432

Sheperd, Reuben

45%

191

Shinn, Charles

62%

509

Smoot, Susan

64%

89

Totals

53%

2972

Social Security Disability Hearing Tip: When you turn 50 years old, the Social Security Disability rules become easier to meet because Social Security assumes you cannot adjust to a sedentary job due to your age, unless you have education, skills or experience that would allow you to adjust to a sedentary job. A sedentary job is defined as a job in which one sits for at least 6 hours out of an 8 hour workday and is required to lift and carry 5-10 pounds or less. If you are 50 or over, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will ask the Vocational Expert (VE) to testify about your education, skills and experience to determine whether you can adjust to a sedentary job. A Disability Lawyer serving Akron OH, like us, can explain in more detail how your age, education and experience impact your case. Contact us for a free consultation or more information.

Case Approval Rates of Akron OH Social Security Hearing Judges

The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and Akron OH Judges are at 53%. Still, many people have really good experiences, because some of the judges and staff genuinely care about other people. And many have very bad experiences in Akron because it still is Social Security, run by the government, which is a complete and utter mess. The judges there are doing the best they can. Do they get decisions wrong sometimes? Of course, they are human. Only those with very low case approval rates might be called biased.

For example, for Akron OH Social Security hearings, Administrative Law Judge Jason Panek has the lowest case approval rate at 44%. That is actually not very low and surely within the bounds of reason. Judge Panek could very possibly be just a little skeptical, and if so, that is hard to fault. Reasonable minds can differ sometimes. Note: We don’t count the judges with less than 50 dispositions because it is a small sample size and could be misleading. Or the Judge primarily does hearings in another hearing office. For example, Judge Louis Aliberti appears to only have 1 disposition (decisions plus dismissals) in Akron but has more than 400 dispositions in Cleveland, where he usually hears cases. His approval rate is 68%.

We can also see from the table that three of the Judges are at 48% or below, so there is a significant chance you will draw one of these judges. If you draw a judge with at or below 48% approval rate then you will need a decent case to win, usually with lots of medical evidence and an opinion from a medical expert (like your doctor) that you are disabled. Make sure you get all of your relevant medical records and try to get a supporting letter from your doctor. To win with a judge at or under 48%, if you’re under age 50 you probably have to have a condition that is life-changing and stops you from working at all (not just part time). If you are age 50 or over you’ll probably need to have the preceding life-changing condition or at least a physical condition that prevents the ability to stand and walk for most of the time. In both cases, you may lose if you have sedentary work experience. Click here to get more information about the rules, or a Disability Lawyer serving Akron OH, like us, can give you the information you need. Click here for a free case evaluation.

Where Will My Hearing Be Held?

Most hearings will be held by phone, the judge’s clerk will call your phone and place you in a conference call. The whole hearing will be held via conference call, it’s actually very efficient. If you have a lawyer the evidence is submitted electronically before the hearing.

If you don’t have a lawyer you’ll have to bring your evidence to the hearing office or mail it in. You can request an in-person hearing, but we don’t advise it. If you do have a in-person hearing or need to submit evidence, check the SSA hearing office locator website. The Akron OH Social Security Hearing office is in Suite 400, 121 South Main Street, Akron, OH 44308-1426. You’ll go through the metal detectors – don’t bring any weapons, even a pocket knife, or they won’t let you in. Then check in with the staff and wait to be called for your hearing. If you need to reach the Akron OH Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (866) 708-3209.

What should I do if I need help with my hearing?

If you do not have a lawyer yet, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) presiding over your case will almost always give you a postponement to try to get a lawyer. These hearings are very difficult without a lawyer, and the ALJs rarely get the evidence they need unless a lawyer is involved. If you need a Disability Lawyer serving Akron OH, no matter what stage your case is in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.