Who decides cases at this office
The panel of 7 judges at this office is consistent, with allowance rates clustering between 55% and 74%. This narrow spread means that outcomes are generally predictable regardless of which judge is assigned to your case. While random assignment is standard, each judge weighs evidence differently, so your file must be robust enough to meet the evidentiary standards of the entire panel.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Major Williams Jr. | 84% | 13,360 | |
| 2 | John J. Flanagan | 75% | 16,837 | |
| 3 | David R. Mazzi | 75% | 15,868 | |
| 4 | Bradlee S. Welton | 73% | 2,403 | |
| 5 | Lisa Lunsford | 72% | 23,284 | |
| 6 | Michael Blume | 72% | 2,323 | |
| 7 | Debra M. Underwood | 71% | 18,497 | |
| 8 | Evangelina P. Hernandez | 68% | 19,602 | |
| 9 | Kevin Gill | 62% | 22,539 | |
| 10 | Enrico Alis | 61% | 25,010 | |
| 11 | Richard P. Laverdure | 56% | 7,130 | |
| 12 | David LaBarre | 53% | 21,569 | |
| 13 | Corinne T. McLaughlin | 48% | 18,713 | |
| 14 | Kevin Plunkett | 47% | 20,460 | |
| 15 | Cheryl Tompkin | 47% | 8,827 |
Former & transferred judges
SSA rosters change as judges retire, transfer, or move to national assignments. These judges previously decided Social Security disability cases from this location but are not on the current roster. Their full public decision records are on their profiles.
How long you'll wait
At Oakland, the average wait from hearing request to written decision is 8 months— versus a national average of 8 months. Here's how it's tracked month by month over the past 16 months.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Going to your hearing
Your hearing at the Oakland Federal Building will typically involve an ALJ reviewing your file and potentially hearing testimony from a Vocational Expert regarding your ability to perform work. You must submit all updated medical records, medication lists, and daily-activity logs well before the evidence-submission deadline. Arriving with a clear, concise summary of your limitations is essential. The judge will not issue a decision immediately; you will receive a written notice by mail after the proceedings conclude.
Even in an office with a 65% allowance rate, the difference between a successful claim and a denial often comes down to how you present your medical limitations to the Vocational Expert. Understanding the Oakland panel allows you to anticipate the specific questions the judge will ask about your work history and physical capacity. Use your remaining wait time to ensure your file is complete before you step into the hearing room.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at Oakland, your case originated at one of the SSA field offices below — the local intake counter where you (or a representative) filed the initial application. Field offices don't decide hearings, but they hold your file, issue benefit-payment notices, and field the day-to-day questions during your wait.