Approval rates
Judge Lacy maintains a lifetime approval rate of 54%, calculated from 6,093 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 52%, which is 12 percentage points lower than the Pasadena Hearing Office average of 66%. These figures provide a statistical snapshot of past activity rather than a guarantee of future outcomes.
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 Lacy'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 his 4 years on the bench, your judge has maintained a consistent approach to SSDI disability claims. His approval rate has remained stable, moving from 54% in 2023 to 55% in 2024 and 54% in 2025. This steady trend suggests a predictable decision-making process that does not show significant volatility. The latest period reflects a continuation of this long-term pattern, indicating that his approach to evidence and testimony has remained largely unchanged throughout his tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Lacy'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 Lacy? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Pasadena hearing office
The Pasadena Hearing Office serves a large population of claimants across California, managing a high volume of SSDI and SSI disability hearings. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide approval rate that reflects the diverse nature of the cases heard in this region. You can see the Pasadena Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the assignment process is effectively random. Within the Pasadena Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 54% to 72%. Because your assigned judge is determined by administrative factors, you should focus on building a strong case regardless of who presides.
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.