Approval rates
Judge Kwon maintains a lifetime approval rate of 67% based on 20,862 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, the judge's approval rate was 53%, compared to an office average of 62% and a national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical snapshot of the judge's history on the bench, though they do not predict the outcome of your specific 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 Kwon'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Kwon has seen fluctuations in approval rates, ranging from a high of 75% in 2018 to 54% in 2025. The lifetime average of 67% reflects a decade of activity, while the recent period indicates a shift in approval frequency compared to historical performance. This trend may reflect changes in case mix or the specific evidence presented in recent filings.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kwon'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 K. Kwon? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Rafael hearing office
The San Rafael Hearing Office serves claimants across the region, managing a high volume of disability cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 62%, reflecting the local environment for SSDI claims. If you appear here, you should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical documentation and vocational evidence. You can view the full ALJ roster on the San Rafael Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your judge is assigned randomly. Within the San Rafael Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 47% to 79%. This variance highlights that while the office operates under the same regulations, individual judicial approaches differ. You can find more information on the San Rafael Hearing Office page.
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.