Approval rates
When evaluating your chances, it is useful to compare a judge's history against broader benchmarks. Judge Kerins currently holds an approval rate that is 18 percentage points higher than the latest average for the Long Beach Hearing Office and 12 points above the national average. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 3,883 lifetime decisions, providing a statistical foundation for your review. 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 Kerins'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 4-year tenure, the approval rate for Judge Kerins has shown an upward trajectory. Starting at 64% in 2016, the rate climbed to reach 82% by 2019. This trend reflects the judge's approach to the cases on the docket over time, though recent performance is only one factor in the broader scope of your hearing.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kerins'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 Kerins? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Long Beach hearing office
The Long Beach Hearing Office manages a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an environment where case outcomes vary based on the specific evidence provided. You should prepare for a review process that prioritizes documented medical necessity. You can visit the Long Beach Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Long Beach Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary widely, ranging from 29% to 72%. This variance underscores why focusing on the strength of your own medical evidence is the most reliable strategy. The guidance for your preparation remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.