Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge O'Connor's lifetime approval rate of 47% sits against a San Rafael Hearing Office latest approval rate of 62% and a national average of 58%. These figures are derived from 7,402 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 O'Connor'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 5 years on the bench, your judge's approval rate has shown a dynamic trend. After starting at 46% in 2016, the rate shifted to 38% in 2018 before rising to 55% by 2020. This trajectory suggests that the judge's approach has evolved over time, potentially reflecting shifts in case complexity or evidence standards. The recent uptick in the latest period marks a departure from the earlier, lower-approval years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge O'Connor'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 O'Connor? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Rafael hearing office
The San Rafael Hearing Office serves a significant population in California, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 62%. You may face a rigorous review process, making thorough documentation vital to a successful outcome. You can visit the San Rafael Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the San Rafael Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 47% to 79%. Because you cannot choose your judge, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful. You can find more information on the San Rafael 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.