Approval rates
Evaluating a judge requires looking at how their approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Cohn-Morros currently holds a lifetime approval rate of 61%, which provides a statistically significant sample size based on her 3,668 lifetime decisions. This performance is measured against the Orange Hearing Office latest rate of 62% and the national average of 58%. 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 Cohn-Morros'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 her 3 years on the bench, Judge Cohn-Morros has demonstrated a steady decision-making pattern. Her approval rates fluctuated from 64% in 2017 to 60% in 2018, before returning to 63% in 2019. These shifts often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of medical evidence presented during a given period. This recent trend suggests a stable approach to evaluating your disability claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Cohn-Morros'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 Cohn-Morros? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Orange hearing office
The Orange Hearing Office serves a large population in California, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 62%. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Orange Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Orange Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 44% to 61%. Because of this variance, understanding the local bench is helpful for context. You can find more information on the Orange 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.