Cleveland Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Ohio · SSA Region 05
Approval Rate
48.8%
vs 57.6% national
Wait Time
7 months
vs 8.4 months national
Processing Time
241 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
3,163
awaiting hearing
ALJs
11
active judges
Cleveland ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for 12 months ending July 2026. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louis Aliberti | 77.5% | 22.5% | 67.5% | 409 | 486 |
| Traci M Hixson | 68.9% | 31.1% | 49% | 457 | 551 |
| Joseph Rose | 65.1% | 34.9% | 58.2% | 292 | 333 |
| Amy Budney | 64% | 36% | 44.4% | 367 | 434 |
| Genevieve Adamo | 56.8% | 43.2% | 36.5% | 433 | 497 |
| William Leland | 56.7% | 43.3% | 49.4% | 464 | 563 |
| Keith Kearney | 54.8% | 45.2% | 48.2% | 465 | 552 |
| Eric Westley | 53.5% | 46.5% | 50.2% | 432 | 504 |
| Penny Loucas | 32.6% | 67.4% | 25.6% | 445 | 536 |
| Joseph Hajjar | 23.5% | 76.5% | 20.7% | 405 | 494 |
| Catherine MA | 8.6% | 91.4% | 5.4% | 349 | 442 |
Former Judges at Cleveland
This judge has no recorded decisions at Cleveland in the 12 months ending July 2026. Figures below cover each judge's own last twelve reported months, ending in the month shown.
| Judge | Last Decisions Reported | Approval Rate | Total Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick Andreas | March 2025 | 52.3% | 367 |
Approval rates here cover each judge's own trailing window ending in the month shown, so they are not directly comparable with the current roster above or with national figures.
About the Cleveland Social Security Hearing Office
Cleveland is a Social Security disability hearing office serving claimants in Ohio. Operating within SSA Region 05, the office has 11 ALJs who preside over disability appeals. With 11 ALJs, this is one of the larger hearing offices in the system, handling a substantial volume of disability cases each fiscal year.
The office's average approval rate is 48.8%, which is below the national average of 57.6%. A lower aggregate rate does not necessarily indicate stricter standards — it may reflect differences in case demographics, representation quality, or the types of conditions presented at hearings. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 8.6% to 77.5%, a 69-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 7 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 241 days. There are currently 3,163 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 288 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 41.4%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.
How to Interpret Cleveland Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Cleveland, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.
With an average wait time of 7 months and 241 days average processing time, claimants at Cleveland can expect a total timeline of roughly 15 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Cleveland have collectively issued 4,518 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 411 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 292 to 465 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Cleveland Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at Cleveland?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 8.6% to 77.5%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 41.4%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Cleveland?
How long do disability cases take at Cleveland?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 15 months. These wait time figures represent the latest available snapshot and may fluctuate as hearing volumes and judge availability change over time.
How is office data calculated?
What percentage of approvals at Cleveland are fully favorable?
How does Cleveland rank among other hearing offices in the state?
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