Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks helps you understand the landscape of your hearing. Judge Rauenzahn's lifetime approval rate of 61% is measured against the latest office average of 50% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 19,592 lifetime decisions, providing a stable statistical baseline. 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 Rauenzahn'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, Judge Rauenzahn has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability adjudication. The yearly trend shows a steady pattern, with approval rates fluctuating between 56% and 69% throughout their career. The most recent reporting period shows an approval rate of 66%, which remains consistent with the judge's long-term history. This stability suggests a predictable approach to evidence evaluation.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Rauenzahn'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 Rauenzahn? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Nhc Albuquerque hearing office
The NHC Albuquerque Hearing Office serves you throughout New Mexico and surrounding regions. This office manages a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office-wide latest approval rate currently stands at 50%, reflecting the local administrative environment. You can see the NHC Albuquerque Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the NHC Albuquerque office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 41% to 61%. Because each judge has a unique approach to testimony and medical evidence, the judge you draw matters. The office's 6 ALJs provide a range of outcomes that reflect the diversity of cases heard in this region.
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.