Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at the same timeframes to ensure accuracy. While your judge's overall record since 2017 shows a 62% approval rate, his latest-period performance is 69%, which sits 5 points above the Portland OR office average of 64%. These figures are based on 3,077 decisions on record. 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 Johnson'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 approval trend for Derek Johnson has shown notable movement since 2017. After a period of decline through 2020, the approval rate moved upward, reaching 76% in 2024 before stabilizing at 70% in the most recent partial year. With 3,077 total decisions on record, this pattern reflects a shift in outcomes compared to the earlier years of the data window.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Johnson'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 OR hearing office
The most recent office on record for Derek Johnson is the Portland OR hearing office, which serves claimants across Oregon. This office maintains a bench of 12 judges, with an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 64%. You can see the Portland OR hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Portland OR
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 12 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, and 6 of them decided cases here in the latest file through July 2026. Approval rates for these judges range from 34% to 66% on their 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
Judge Johnson's latest-period approval rate of 69% is 5 points higher than the Portland OR office average of 64%. Because case assignment is random, an attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing.
Yes, the approval rate has fluctuated, moving from 64% in 2018 to a peak of 76% in 2024, with a 70% rate in the partial 2026 fiscal year. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to the specific evidence in your claim.
No, the Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. You cannot choose your judge, but an attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of any ALJ.
The 62% approval rate on record since 2017 reflects past decisions and is not a prediction for your specific hearing. Your outcome depends primarily on the medical evidence and vocational testimony presented, and an attorney can help you build a strong case.
