Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to look at how a judge's history compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Tompkin's lifetime approval rate of 47% is measured against the Oakland Hearing Office latest rate of 65% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 6,996 lifetime decisions, providing a stable view of her judicial history. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than serving as 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 Tompkin'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 her 6 years on the bench, Judge Tompkin has seen her approval rate shift from 70% in 2017 to a range between 39% and 42% in recent years. While the latest period shows a rate 18 points below the office average, these patterns often reflect changes in the complexity of cases assigned. The recent data indicates a steady continuation of her established decision-making framework.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Tompkin'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 Tompkin? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Oakland hearing office
The Oakland Hearing Office serves a diverse population across Northern California, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an overall latest approval rate of 65%. You should expect a professional environment focused on the specific medical and vocational facts of your file. You can find more information on the Oakland Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the Oakland Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 47% to 72%. This variance highlights why it is essential to focus on the strength of your own medical evidence regardless of who presides. The guidance for your preparation remains consistent regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
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.