Approval rates
Understanding how a judge's approval rate compares to their peers provides helpful context for your upcoming hearing. The 51% approval rate for Maxine R. Benmour is based on 199 decisions on record since 2016. This figure sits within the 43% to 79% range observed among the 8 judges whose most recent office on record is the San Rafael hearing office.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Benmour. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 30, 2016. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Benmour'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
The data for Maxine R. Benmour covers 199 decisions on record since 2016. During 2016, the approval rate was 51%. This record reflects a specific snapshot in time, providing a baseline for understanding how past cases were decided at this office.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Benmour'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.
About the San Rafael hearing office
The San Rafael hearing office serves claimants in the California region. This office has a bench of 8 judges whose most recent office on record is this location. You can expect a formal hearing process where the focus is on the medical evidence supporting your disability claim.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is San Rafael
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 8 judges whose most recent office on record is the San Rafael hearing office, with approval rates ranging from 43% to 79% on their since-2016 records. While these figures vary, the process for presenting medical evidence and testimony remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Approval rates change 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.
Frequently asked questions
Maxine R. Benmour has an approval rate of 51% based on 199 decisions on record since 2016. This sits within the 43% to 79% range of the 8 judges whose most recent office on record is the San Rafael hearing office. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this bench.
The data for Maxine R. Benmour covers 199 decisions on record from 2016, showing an approval rate of 51%. Because the available record is limited to this period, there is no multi-year trend to observe. An attorney can help you understand how your case evidence aligns with current hearing standards.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to judges, making the assignment process essentially random. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing.
An SSDI hearing is a formal proceeding where an ALJ reviews the evidence of your disability. You will likely answer questions about your work history, medical conditions, and daily limitations. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and organize your medical records to ensure your case is presented clearly.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions, not a prediction of your specific outcome. Maxine R. Benmour decided 199 cases on record since 2016 with a 51% approval rate. An attorney can help you evaluate the strengths of your case and prepare for the hearing process.
