Approval rates
Judge Magana maintains an approval rate of 69% over a career spanning 3 years on the bench. This performance is 3 percentage points above the Pasadena office average and 11 percentage points higher than the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from 5,398 lifetime decisions. 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 Magana'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 the last three years, your approval rate has shown fluctuation, moving from 65% in 2023 to 73% in 2024, before settling at 68% in 2025. This pattern suggests a stable approach to case evaluation as the volume of decisions has increased. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, indicating that the approach to evidence remains consistent with the overall tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Magana'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 Magana? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Pasadena hearing office
The Pasadena Hearing Office serves the greater California region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With an office-wide approval rate of 66%, it remains a critical hub for your benefits application. You can expect a formal process focused on the documentation of your impairments and work history. You can visit the Pasadena Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Pasadena Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment is essentially random. The bench here consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 63% to 72%. Because every judge has a unique perspective on medical evidence, understanding the local bench is part of a comprehensive strategy. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.