Approval rates
Judge Molinar has presided over 24,048 lifetime decisions during her 10-year tenure. Your approval rate is currently 73% for the latest reporting period, which compares favorably to the Alexandria office average of 59% and the national average of 58%. This data provides a statistical baseline for understanding how cases have historically been decided in this courtroom. 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 Molinar'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Molinar has shown a consistent pattern of decision-making that has evolved over time. While your approval rates fluctuated between 54% and 68% during the first several years of her tenure, the most recent data indicates an uptick to 73%. This recent shift reflects a period of higher allowance rates compared to her long-term historical average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Molinar'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 Molinar? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Alexandria hearing office
The Alexandria Hearing Office serves a significant volume of claimants throughout the region. With a team of 6 judges, the office manages a complex caseload that reflects the broader challenges of the disability determination process. The office-wide latest approval rate currently sits at 59%, providing a local context for your upcoming hearing. You can visit the Alexandria 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 your assignment is essentially random. At the Alexandria office, the bench includes 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 32% to 66%. Because you cannot choose your judge, you should focus on the strength of your medical evidence and testimony. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same 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.