Approval rates
Judge Chau has presided over 14,467 lifetime decisions during a 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, the 75% approval rate compares favorably to the national average of 58% and the state average of 59%. These statistics provide a broad view of historical decision-making patterns at the Pasadena office. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Chau'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
Over the past decade, the approval rate for Judge Chau has shown an upward trajectory. Starting at 52% in 2016, the rate trended higher, reaching 80% in 2024 and 77% in 2025. This shift suggests a pattern of recent approvals that diverges from the earlier years of this tenure. These trends may reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented in recent years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Chau'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.
Hearing with Judge Chau? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Pasadena hearing office
The Pasadena Hearing Office serves a diverse population across California, managing a significant volume of SSDI claims. With 6 judges currently on the bench, the office maintains an environment where caseloads are distributed to ensure timely processing. The office-wide latest approval rate of 66% reflects the broader regional trends in disability adjudication. You can visit the Pasadena Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Pasadena bench, lifetime approval rates for judges range from 63% to 72%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent regardless of the judge assigned to your case. You can find more information on the Pasadena Hearing Office page.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.