Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to broader averages provides perspective on the hearing landscape. Judge Murgo has maintained a 39% lifetime approval rate over 13,397 decisions. This contrasts with the latest Portland OR office average of 68% and the national average of 58%. These figures provide a look at historical trends, 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 Murgo'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 a 5-year tenure and 13,397 lifetime decisions, the approval rate for Judge Murgo has fluctuated. While the rate reached 45% in 2017, recent data indicates 22% in 2020. This shift reflects a departure from earlier patterns, which may be due to changes in case mix or evidence requirements. You can find more information on the Portland OR Hearing Office page.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Murgo'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 Murgo? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Portland OR hearing office
The Portland OR Hearing Office serves you throughout Oregon, managing a volume of disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an overall latest approval rate of 68%. You can expect a professional environment focused on the evaluation of medical and vocational evidence. To learn more about the local bench, see the Portland OR 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Portland OR office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges vary, ranging from 39% to 76%. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent across the entire bench. You can view the full roster on the Portland OR 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.