Approval rates
Comparing a judge's history against broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Kirby maintains a lifetime approval rate of 60%, which currently trends 7 points above the Moreno Valley CA office average and 2 points above the national average. This data is derived from 17,160 lifetime decisions over a 10-year tenure. 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 Kirby'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 decade on the bench, Kirby's approval patterns have shifted, showing a period of lower rates between 2019 and 2021 before a notable increase in 2022 and 2023. With 17,160 lifetime decisions, the judge has navigated various shifts in case volume and complexity. The most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 61%, suggesting a continuation of the higher approval trends observed in recent years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kirby'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 Kirby? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Moreno Valley CA hearing office
The Moreno Valley CA Hearing Office serves a large population, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 53%, which serves as a baseline for the local jurisdiction. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Moreno Valley CA Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the Moreno Valley CA office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 37% to 60%. While individual tendencies vary, the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent regardless of the judge presiding 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.