Portland ME Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Maine · SSA Region 01
Approval Rate
65.1%
vs 57.6% national
Wait Time
9 months
vs 8.4 months national
Processing Time
272 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,408
awaiting hearing
ALJs
4
active judges
Portland ME 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Flynn | 82.3% | 17.7% | 74.5% | 419 | 483 |
| Mary Pamela Hubert | 68.1% | 31.9% | 57.9% | 304 | 355 |
| Christine Cutter | 62.4% | 37.6% | 54.3% | 433 | 502 |
| Todd Holbrook | 47.2% | 52.8% | 40.3% | 392 | 485 |
About the Portland ME Social Security Hearing Office
Claimants in the Portland ME service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in Maine. The office is assigned to SSA Region 01 and has 4 active ALJs.
The office's average approval rate is 65.1%, which is above the national average of 57.6%. 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 47.2% to 82.3%, a 35-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 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 272 days. There are currently 1,408 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 352 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 56.8%. 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 Portland ME Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Portland ME, 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 272 days average processing time, claimants at Portland ME can expect a total timeline of roughly 18 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Portland ME have collectively issued 1,548 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 387 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 304 to 433 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Portland ME Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at Portland ME?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 47.2% to 82.3%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 56.8%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Portland ME?
How long do disability cases take at Portland ME?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 18 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.
How is office data calculated?
What percentage of approvals at Portland ME are fully favorable?
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