Approval rates
Judge Havens maintains a lifetime approval rate of 50% based on 25,400 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate was 49%, which is 8 percentage points below the national average of 58% and 21 points below the TUCSON office average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for your case preparation.
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 Havens'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 a decade on the bench, Judge Havens has seen fluctuations in her approval patterns. While her early years showed approval rates near 60%, recent trends have shifted, with the latest period showing a 49% approval rate. This variance highlights the importance of presenting a robust medical record regardless of the judge assigned to your case.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Havens'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 Havens? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Tucson hearing office
The TUCSON Hearing Office serves you throughout Arizona, managing a high volume of disability appeals. The office-wide latest approval rate is 71%, reflecting the diverse caseload handled by the local bench. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony.
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.