Approval rates
Judge Paul G. Robeck has maintained a consistent approval rate throughout his tenure, currently trending at 43% lifetime. Compared to the latest reporting period, his approval rate sits 25 percentage points below the Portland OR office average of 68% and 15 points below the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 4,768 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 Robeck'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 his 2 years on the bench, Paul G. Robeck has demonstrated a steady decision-making pattern. His approval rate remained stable at 44% in 2016 and 43% in 2017, showing minimal fluctuation in his approach to disability claims. This consistency suggests a predictable standard for how your evidence is weighed in his courtroom. The current data reflects a continuation of this established pattern, indicating that his approach to case adjudication has remained firm throughout his time in Portland.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Robeck'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 Robeck? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Portland OR hearing office
The Portland OR Hearing Office serves you and other applicants across Oregon, managing a high volume of disability cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 68%, which serves as a benchmark for the region. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. For more information on 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 utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Portland OR Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 43% to 76%. Because this variance exists, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical documentation regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing. The guidance for your preparation remains consistent regardless of your assigned judge.
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.