Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance requires looking at both their long-term history and recent trends. Judge Rosenbluth has maintained a consistent presence over 10 years on the bench, presiding over 20,389 lifetime decisions. While the latest reporting period shows an approval rate of 73%, this is measured against the Los Angeles West office average of 63% and a 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 Rosenbluth'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 decade on the bench, Judge Rosenbluth has shown a clear upward trend in approval rates. Starting at 45% in 2016, the rate has steadily climbed, reaching 75% in 2025. This pattern suggests a shift in how cases are evaluated or a change in the complexity of the evidence presented. The recent uptick reflects a significant departure from the earlier years of this tenure. This trajectory indicates that the judge's current approach is more favorable than in the past.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Rosenbluth'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 Rosenbluth? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Los Angeles West hearing office
The Los Angeles West Hearing Office serves a large population across California, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of six judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 63% during the latest reporting period. You can see the Los Angeles West 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 you cannot choose your judge. At the Los Angeles West Hearing Office, approval rates among the six judges range from 39% to 66%. This variance highlights why the specific judge assigned to your case is a significant factor in the hearing process. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Los Angeles West 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.