Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Loo's lifetime approval rate of 59% is measured against the latest office-wide approval rate of 45% and the national average of 58%. With over a decade of experience, this data reflects a significant volume of cases. 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 Loo'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 Loo has maintained a steady approval pattern. While the rate dipped to 48% in 2021, recent years show a return to higher approval levels, with 63% in 2024 and 63% in 2025. This trend suggests a stable approach to evidence evaluation. The latest period reflects a continuation of this consistent pattern, showing that the judge's decision-making remains well-aligned with broader state and national trends.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Loo'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 Loo? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Francisco hearing office
The San Francisco Hearing Office serves a diverse population across California, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office operates under the standard SSA procedures for evaluating medical and vocational evidence. You can expect a formal hearing environment focused on the specific details of your claim. See the San Francisco Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning you cannot request a specific judge. Approval rates across the San Francisco bench vary significantly, ranging from 38% to 66% lifetime. Understanding that your judge is assigned randomly is a standard part of the process. You can find more information on the San Francisco 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.