Approval rates
Judge Villere’s approval rate is higher than both the Sacramento office average of 65% and the national average of 58%. Over his 10-year tenure, he has presided over 35,103 decisions, providing a robust data set for understanding his historical decision-making. These comparisons highlight how his courtroom outcomes diverge from broader trends in the Social Security Administration. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Villere Jr.'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 the past decade, Judge Villere’s approval rate has shown a resilient pattern, fluctuating between 67% and 81% annually. The most recent reporting period shows an 80% approval rate, marking a return to the higher end of his historical range. This trend reflects a consistent approach to evaluating disability claims, with the latest data showing a continuation of his established decision-making style.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Villere Jr.'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.
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Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Sacramento hearing office
The Sacramento Hearing Office serves a large population across California, managing a high volume of SSDI claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 65%, which is higher than both the state and national averages. You can expect a standard administrative hearing process focused on medical and vocational evidence. You can visit the Sacramento 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. Within the Sacramento Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 57% to 75%. Because case assignment is essentially random, you may be scheduled before any of the judges at this location. Preparation remains the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.