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Miami Oho Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Florida · SSA Region 04

Approval Rate

67%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

7 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

260 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

1,362

awaiting hearing

ALJs

15

active judges

Miami Oho 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
Herin JR. 100% N/A 100% 1 1
Gonzalo Vallecillo 100% N/A 75% 4 4
James C Cartledge 92.7% 7.3% 91.2% 330 368
Carol J Pennock 76.3% 23.7% 68.3% 224 276
Vincent Hill 75% 25% 50% 4 4
Rebecca Wolfe 73.1% 26.9% 61.6% 245 284
Christopher Messina 71.4% 28.6% 57.1% 7 12
Norman Hemming 67% 33% 61.2% 224 263
Andrew Dixon III 66.7% 33.3% 66.7% 3 3
Tracey B Leibowitz 61.8% 38.2% 55.8% 319 372
Clara H Aranda 61.6% 38.4% 56.1% 271 319
Brian Jones 60% 40% 60% 5 5
Elizabeth DE Gruy 57.1% 42.9% 57.1% 7 7
Gracian A Celaya 57% 43% 47.3% 300 354
Lornette Reynolds 45.1% 54.9% 30% 273 317

About the Miami Oho Social Security Hearing Office

The Miami Oho hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Florida. This office is in SSA Region 04 and currently has 15 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. With 15 ALJs, this is one of the larger hearing offices in the system, handling a substantial volume of disability cases each fiscal year.

The office's average approval rate is 67%, which is above the national average of 58.3%. This higher-than-average rate reflects the combined decision patterns of all judges at this office. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 45.1% to 100%, a 55-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 7 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 260 days. There are currently 1,362 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 91 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 62.5%. 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 Miami Oho Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Miami Oho, 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 7 months and 260 days average processing time, claimants at Miami Oho can expect a total timeline of roughly 16 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Miami Oho have collectively issued 2,217 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 148 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 330 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Miami Oho Hearing Office FAQ

How often are disability cases approved at Miami Oho?
The average ALJ approval rate at Miami Oho is 67% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 45.1% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 62.5%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at Miami Oho?
The Miami Oho office has 15 administrative law judges. Of these, 8 have issued 50 or more decisions in FY 2025. Decision counts range from 1 to 330 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
What is the average case processing time at Miami Oho?
The current average wait time at Miami Oho is 7 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 260 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 16 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.
How is office data calculated?
With 15 judges handling cases, this is one of the larger hearing offices. Office statistics are calculated by aggregating individual judge decision data. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. Data originates from SSA public use files and is refreshed as new reports are published throughout the fiscal year.
How often do judges at Miami Oho issue fully favorable decisions?
A fully favorable decision means the claimant is awarded benefits starting from the onset date they originally claimed. A partially favorable decision also awards benefits, but may set a later onset date than requested. Both types count toward the overall approval rate. The distinction is important because onset date determines how far back retroactive benefits extend. At Miami Oho, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 62.5%.
Is Miami Oho's approval rate higher or lower than nearby offices?
Of the 8 hearing offices in Florida, Miami Oho ranks 2 of 8 with an approval rate of 67%. In terms of wait time, Miami Oho ranks 4 of 8 (7 months). Visit the Florida overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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