Approval rates
The approval rates for Laura Speck Havens reflect her activity at the Sacramento hearing office. While her lifetime approval rate stands at 57%, it is helpful to view this against the broader office-wide lifetime range of 39% to 80%. These figures are derived from a docket of 7 lifetime decisions, providing a baseline for understanding her decision-making history. 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 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
The record for Laura Speck Havens includes 7 lifetime decisions starting in 2016. Her approval rate has remained consistent at 57% during the most recent reporting period. This data reflects a steady pattern in her decision-making process. Because the latest period aligns with her lifetime average, the current trend suggests a continuation of her established approach to your disability claim.
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.
Reading this because a claim was denied? Decode the letter — what the sentence means, what to file, and by when.
About the Sacramento hearing office
The Sacramento hearing office serves you throughout the region, maintaining a bench of 20 judges on record. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 68%, which provides context for the local hearing environment. You can expect a formal process focused on the medical evidence presented in your file. You can see the Sacramento 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 20 judges on record at this office since 2016, 6 of whom reported in the latest period. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 39% to 80% over their respective careers. You can find more information on the Sacramento hearing office page.
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
Laura Speck Havens has a lifetime approval rate of 57% based on 7 decisions. This sits within the broader office-wide lifetime range of 39% to 80% for the 20 judges on record at the Sacramento office. An attorney can help you understand how to present your evidence effectively for this specific judge.
The data for Laura Speck Havens shows a steady approval rate of 57% during the latest reporting period. With 7 lifetime decisions on record since 2016, her pattern remains consistent. If you are concerned about your hearing, an attorney can help you prepare your case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to judges, making the assignment process essentially random. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
A judge's approval rate is a reflection of past decisions and not a prediction of your specific outcome. While Laura Speck Havens has a 57% lifetime approval rate, the strength of your medical evidence remains the most important factor. An attorney can help you ensure your case is as strong as possible before your hearing.