Approval rates
Judge Hoenninger maintains a lifetime approval rate of 51% based on 19,664 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, this judge's approval rate was 17 percentage points lower than the Portland OR office average and 7 percentage points below the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant volume of cases, providing a stable look at historical decision patterns. 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 Hoenninger'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 9-year tenure, Judge Hoenninger has maintained a consistent pattern of approvals. Starting at 52% in 2016, the annual approval rate has remained steady, hovering near the 50% mark for much of the last several years. This consistency suggests that the judge's decision-making process is well-established, with the latest period reflecting a continuation of this long-term trend.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hoenninger'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 Hoenninger? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Portland OR hearing office
The Portland OR Hearing Office serves you and other claimants throughout the region, managing a high volume of disability cases with a team of 6 administrative law judges. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 68%, which provides important context for the local hearing environment. You can expect a professional setting where evidence quality and medical documentation are the primary drivers of a favorable outcome. You can find more information on the Portland OR Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Portland OR office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 49% to 76%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving your disability remain consistent regardless of which judge presides over your hearing.
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.