Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Kopec maintains a lifetime approval rate of 61%, which currently stands 17 percentage points higher than the latest Stockton Hearing Office average of 44%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 14,067 lifetime decisions built over 7 years. 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 Kopec'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 her 7-year tenure, Judge Kopec has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability adjudication. Her yearly approval trends show a steady pattern, moving from 52% in 2016 to a peak of 69% in 2021, before settling at 66% in 2022. This trajectory suggests a stable decision-making philosophy that has remained well-aligned with or above national standards throughout her time on the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kopec'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 Kopec? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Stockton hearing office
The Stockton Hearing Office serves a large population of claimants across California, managing a high volume of cases with a diverse bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 44%, reflecting the complex nature of the claims processed in this region. You can expect a formal hearing process where medical documentation and vocational testimony are prioritized. See the Stockton Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot choose your judge. At the Stockton Hearing Office, the bench is comprised of 6 judges whose lifetime approval rates range from 30% to 83%. Because this variance exists, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence regardless of who is assigned to your case.
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.