Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance requires looking at both lifetime averages and recent trends. Judge Pines has issued 20,646 decisions over a decade on the bench. While the latest period shows an approval rate of 76%, this is measured against the Portland OR office average of 68% and the national average of 58%. 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 Pines'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 10-year tenure, the approval trend for Judge Pines has shown an upward trajectory. Starting at 54% in 2016, the rate has climbed, reaching 81% in the 2025 reporting period. This shift reflects an evolving approach to case evaluation. The latest period continues this long-term pattern of increasing approval frequency.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Pines'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 Pines? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Portland OR hearing office
The Portland OR Hearing Office serves you throughout Oregon and the surrounding region. It is staffed by 6 judges who manage a volume of disability appeals. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 68%, reflecting the local administrative environment. You can visit the Portland OR Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you draw is essentially random. Across the Portland OR office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 49% to 76%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focusing on the quality of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare.
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.