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Fresno Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

California · SSA Region 09

Approval Rate

58.7%

vs 57.6% national

Wait Time

10 months

vs 8.4 months national

Processing Time

352 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

1,310

awaiting hearing

ALJs

8

active judges

Fresno ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics

Individual judge statistics for 12 months ending July 2026. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.

Judge Approval Rate Denial Rate Fully Favorable Total Decisions Dispositions
David Engel 87% 13% 87% 23 31
Mark Yasutomi 73.7% 26.3% 40.4% 57 66
Shiva Bozarth 72% 28% 64.2% 268 326
Scot Septer 61.7% 38.3% 49.4% 405 470
Yasmin Elias 59.3% 40.7% 51.9% 27 30
Timothy Suing 56.3% 43.8% 37.5% 16 18
Nancy M. Stewart 41.4% 58.6% 37.9% 29 30
Eva Chan N/A 100% N/A 2 2

Former Judges at Fresno

This judge has no recorded decisions at Fresno in the 12 months ending July 2026. Figures below cover each judge's own last twelve reported months, ending in the month shown.

Judge Last Decisions Reported Approval Rate Total Decisions
Katherine Loo March 2025 64.3% 221

Approval rates here cover each judge's own trailing window ending in the month shown, so they are not directly comparable with the current roster above or with national figures.

About the Fresno Social Security Hearing Office

The Social Security Administration operates the Fresno hearing office in California as part of its Office of Hearings Operations. Located in SSA Region 09, 8 Administrative Law Judges conduct disability hearings at this location.

The office's average approval rate is 58.7%, which is near the national average of 57.6%. This figure combines both fully favorable and partially favorable outcomes from all judges at the office. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 0% to 87%, a 87-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 10 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 352 days. There are currently 1,310 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 164 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 46.0%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.

How to Interpret Fresno Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Fresno, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.

With an average wait time of 10 months and 352 days average processing time, claimants at Fresno can expect a total timeline of roughly 22 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Fresno have collectively issued 827 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 103 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 2 to 405 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Fresno Hearing Office FAQ

What are my chances of approval at Fresno?
The average ALJ approval rate at Fresno is 58.7% for the 12 months ending July 2026. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 0% to 87%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 46.0%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Fresno?
The Fresno office has 8 administrative law judges. Of these, 3 have issued 50 or more decisions in the 12 months ending July 2026. Decision counts range from 2 to 405 in the 12 months ending July 2026. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long do disability cases take at Fresno?
The current average wait time at Fresno is 10 months. This is longer than the national average of 8.4 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 352 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 22 months. Wait time averages reflect the most recently reported SSA data and will evolve as new disposition reports are released.
How is office data calculated?
Office statistics are calculated by aggregating individual judge decision data. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. Source data comes from the Social Security Administration's public reporting on ALJ decisions, which we incorporate as updates are released.
What percentage of approvals at Fresno are fully favorable?
"Fully favorable" means the claimant receives benefits effective from their originally claimed onset date. "Partially favorable" also grants benefits but may start them from a later date. Both decisions are counted as approvals in the statistics. The onset date difference can significantly affect the total retroactive benefit amount. At Fresno, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 46.0%.
How does Fresno rank among other hearing offices in the state?
Of the 17 hearing offices in California, Fresno ranks 13 of 17 with an approval rate of 58.7%. In terms of wait time, Fresno ranks 17 of 17 (10 months). Visit the California overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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