Approval rates
Understanding how a judge compares to their peers provides helpful context for your upcoming hearing. At the Tacoma office, lifetime approval rates among the 18 judges on record range from 30% to 78%. These figures are based on a large volume of cases, offering a look at historical trends within this specific office.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Gaughen. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 24, 2021. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Gaughen'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 record for Paul Gaughen covers 1,162 lifetime decisions starting in 2016. His approval rate fluctuated over time, moving from 52% in 2016 to 74% in 2019, and most recently 61% in 2021. These shifts reflect the evolving nature of the cases on his docket.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Gaughen'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 Tacoma hearing office
The Tacoma hearing office serves claimants throughout the region, operating as a hub for disability adjudication in Washington. The office bench consists of 18 judges on record, all of whom manage caseloads to ensure reviews. You can see the Tacoma hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is random. There are 18 judges on record at this office since 2016, 5 of whom reported in the latest period. With lifetime approval rates across the office bench spanning from 30% to 78%, the specific judge assigned to your case can influence the process.
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
Paul Gaughen has a lifetime approval rate of 65%, which sits within the broader office range of 30% to 78%. Because every judge has a unique approach to weighing medical evidence, an attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this bench.
Yes, the data shows variation in his approval rates, which moved from 52% in 2016 to a high of 74% in 2019 before reaching 61% in 2021. These shifts are common, and an attorney can help you understand how to present your case effectively regardless of these trends.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The SSA uses a random assignment algorithm to distribute cases among the judges at the Tacoma hearing office to ensure efficiency and fairness.
A hearing is a formal proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony about your limitations. Having a qualified attorney can help you organize your evidence and prepare for the questions you will face during this process.
A judge's historical approval rate is a statistical observation, not a guarantee of your outcome. Your success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence, and an attorney can help you build a stronger case to meet the judge's standards.