Orange Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
California · SSA Region 09
Approval Rate
64%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
9 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
323 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,324
awaiting hearing
ALJs
5
active judges
Orange 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Lenzini | 80.9% | 19.1% | 69.4% | 324 | 384 |
| John Kays | 75.4% | 24.6% | 70.8% | 65 | 75 |
| Joseph P Lisiecki III | 64.6% | 35.4% | 59.2% | 206 | 253 |
| Stacy Zimmerman | 59.4% | 40.6% | 44.1% | 367 | 438 |
| Michael D Radensky | 45.3% | 54.7% | 39.8% | 362 | 454 |
About the Orange Social Security Hearing Office
Claimants in the Orange service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in California. The office is assigned to SSA Region 09 and has 5 active ALJs.
The office's average approval rate is 64%, which is above the national average of 58.3%. This rate emerges from the aggregate of individual judge decisions and should be understood in the context of local case demographics and representation patterns. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 45.3% to 80.9%, a 36-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 9 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 323 days. There are currently 1,324 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 265 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 56.7%. 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 Orange Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Orange, 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 9 months and 323 days average processing time, claimants at Orange can expect a total timeline of roughly 20 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Orange have collectively issued 1,324 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 265 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 65 to 367 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Orange Hearing Office FAQ
What is the approval rate at Orange?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 45.3% to 80.9%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 56.7%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Which judges hear cases at Orange?
How long is the wait time at Orange?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 20 months. Note that wait times are point-in-time estimates from SSA reporting and may vary from month to month based on case volume and staffing changes.