Las Vegas Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Nevada · SSA Region 09
Approval Rate
48.6%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
8 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
272 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,636
awaiting hearing
ALJs
9
active judges
Las Vegas ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas M Ray | 86% | 14% | 79.7% | 143 | 211 |
| David K Gatto | 69% | 31% | 65.7% | 335 | 433 |
| Deanna L Sokolski | 67.7% | 32.3% | 58.1% | 31 | 42 |
| Marti Kirby | 66.7% | 33.3% | 66.7% | 3 | 3 |
| Neil Morholt | 54.5% | 45.5% | 44.4% | 198 | 263 |
| Robert Freedman | 47.5% | 52.5% | 45.8% | 59 | 71 |
| Arthur Zeidman | 46.5% | 53.5% | 34.6% | 127 | 159 |
| Cynthia R Hoover | 40.4% | 59.6% | 21.1% | 171 | 241 |
| Kathleen Kadlec | N/A | 100% | N/A | 1 | 1 |
About the Las Vegas Social Security Hearing Office
Las Vegas is a Social Security disability hearing office serving claimants in Nevada. Operating within SSA Region 09, the office has 9 ALJs who preside over disability appeals.
The office's average approval rate is 48.6%, which is below the national average of 58.3%. A lower aggregate rate does not necessarily indicate stricter standards — it may reflect differences in case demographics, representation quality, or the types of conditions presented at hearings. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 0% to 86%, a 86-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 8 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 272 days. There are currently 1,636 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 182 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 46.2%. 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 Las Vegas Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Las Vegas, 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 8 months and 272 days average processing time, claimants at Las Vegas can expect a total timeline of roughly 17 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Las Vegas have collectively issued 1,068 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 119 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 335 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Las Vegas Hearing Office FAQ
How often are disability cases approved at Las Vegas?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 0% to 86%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 46.2%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at Las Vegas?
What is the average case processing time at Las Vegas?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 17 months. These wait time figures represent the latest available snapshot and may fluctuate as hearing volumes and judge availability change over time.