Approval rates
Comparing performance requires looking at consistent timeframes. While your judge's 63% approval rate reflects the total record since 2023, recent data shows a 68% approval rate during the latest reporting period. This figure sits 3 percentage points above the Portland ME office average and 10 points above the national average. These figures provide context for recent activity, though aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting your specific outcome.
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 Hubert'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 data shows 1,183 decisions on record since January 2023. After an approval rate of 69% in 2023, the annual figures were 60% in 2024 and 62% in 2025. The 2026 fiscal year-to-date figure of 68% shows the most recent trend. This latest period reflects a change from the figures seen in the previous two years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hubert'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 Portland ME hearing office
The Portland ME hearing office is the most recent office on record for Mary Pamela Hubert, with activity recorded through July 2026. This office maintains an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 65%. You can view the Portland ME Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Portland ME
SSA assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 10 judges whose most recent office on record is the Portland ME office, with 4 of them having decided cases in SSA's latest file. Approval rates among this bench range from 38% to 85% on their respective records.
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
Mary Pamela Hubert's latest-period approval rate of 68% is 3 percentage points higher than the Portland ME office average of 65%. Because case assignment is random, an attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned.
Yes, the approval rate has fluctuated, moving from 69% in 2023 to 60% in 2024, 62% in 2025, and 68% in the 2026 fiscal year-to-date period. Understanding these trends is part of how an attorney can help you evaluate your case strategy.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. SSA assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare your evidence so that your case is ready for any judge assigned to your hearing.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your case's success depends primarily on the medical evidence and documentation you provide, which an attorney can help you organize.
