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

The Quality of Cleveland OH Social Security Hearing Judges

Average news if you have a Social Security Disability Hearing in Cleveland. Cleveland OH Social Security Hearing Judges have exactly average case approval ratings. The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and as you can see from the table below, Cleveland OH Judges are spot-on average, namely 54%. Could be better, but not bad! However, the bad news is that you may get one of the two judges that bring the whole hearing office’s average down. It appears that in Cleveland OH three of the judges are at or below average, so that’s not too bad. Read below to see who’s who. Note: we don’t count judges that have less than 50 dispositions in our analysis.

This page is for Cleveland OH Social Security Hearings, in other words, for people who live in or near Ashtabula, Cleveland (Buckeye Shaker), Cleveland (Downtown), Cleveland (East), Cleveland (Northeast), Cleveland (Northwest), Cleveland (Southeast), Cleveland (Southwest), or Cleveland (West). For other locations in Ohio click on:

• Judge Ratings for Cincinnati OH
• Judge Ratings for Akron OH
• Judge Ratings for Dayton OH
• Judge Ratings for Columbus OH
• Judge Ratings for Toledo OH

Judge Ratings for Cleveland OH Social Security Hearings

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Cleveland 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 Cleveland OH if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or near Ashtabula, Cleveland (Buckeye Shaker), Cleveland (Downtown), Cleveland (East), Cleveland (Northeast), Cleveland (Northwest), Cleveland (Southeast), Cleveland (Southwest), or Cleveland (West). The Cleveland OH Social Security Hearing office is in the Skylight Office Tower on West Second Street right next to the Jack Casino and about five blocks Southeast of Huntington Bank Field. Go Browns! 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 Cleveland 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 November 2024:

Social Security Disability Hearing Tip: After your 50th birthday, 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. So usually if the Judge decides that you’re limited to sedentary work then you are disabled. 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 Cleveland 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 Cleveland OH Social Security Hearing Judges

The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and Cleveland OH Judges are at 59%. 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 Cleveland 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 Cleveland OH Social Security hearings, Administrative Law Judge Catherine Ma has the lowest case approval rate at 18%. That is very low and actually one of the lowest in the country and begs the question: does Judge Ma have a negative attitude towards claimants? Some judges unfortunately let their political views or personal feelings cloud their judgement when it comes to people applying for disability benefits. We will probably never know whether Judge Ma is in that category but we hope she isn’t. 

We can also see from the table that three of the Judges are at 33% or below, so there is a significant chance you will draw one of these judges. If you draw a judge with at or below 33% 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 33%, if you’re under age 50 you probably have to have a condition that is life-wrecking and stops you from working at all (not just part time) or even doing most things outside of the home. If you are age 50 or over you’ll probably need to have the preceding life-wrecking condition or at least a physical condition that prevents the ability to stand and walk almost totally. 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 Cleveland 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 Cleveland OH Social Security Hearing office is in the Skylight Office Tower, Suite 500, 1660 West Second Street, Cleveland, OH 44113. 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 Cleveland OH Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (877) 402-0822.

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 Cleveland OH, no matter what stage your case is in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.