Official SSA Data

Portland OR Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Oregon · SSA Region 10

Approval Rate

64.5%

vs 57.6% national

Wait Time

8 months

vs 8.4 months national

Processing Time

246 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

2,249

awaiting hearing

ALJs

7

active judges

Portland OR 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
Linda Thomasson 71.1% 28.9% 60.2% 415 475
Derek Johnson 68.8% 31.2% 63.4% 279 317
Paula M. Martin 67.3% 32.7% 57.4% 535 610
S. Pines 63.6% 36.4% 59.5% 385 444
Richard Geib 60.6% 39.4% 51% 396 460
Vadim Mozyrsky 48.7% 51.3% 45.6% 226 259
William Reeves 25% 75% 12.5% 8 10

Former Judges at Portland OR

This judge has no recorded decisions at Portland OR 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
Jo Hoenninger March 2024 47.8% 161

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 Portland OR Social Security Hearing Office

The Social Security Administration operates the Portland OR hearing office in Oregon as part of its Office of Hearings Operations. Located in SSA Region 10, 7 Administrative Law Judges conduct disability hearings at this location.

The office's average approval rate is 64.5%, which is above the national average of 57.6%. While above the national benchmark, this figure aggregates decisions across all judges and encompasses both fully and partially favorable outcomes. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 25% to 71.1%, a 46-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 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 246 days. There are currently 2,249 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 321 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 49.9%. 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 OR Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Portland OR, 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 246 days average processing time, claimants at Portland OR can expect a total timeline of roughly 16 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Portland OR have collectively issued 2,244 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 321 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 8 to 535 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Portland OR Hearing Office FAQ

What are my chances of approval at Portland OR?
The average ALJ approval rate at Portland OR is 64.5% 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 25% to 71.1%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 49.9%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Portland OR?
The Portland OR office has 7 administrative law judges. Of these, 6 have issued 50 or more decisions in the 12 months ending July 2026. Decision counts range from 8 to 535 in the 12 months ending July 2026. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long do disability cases take at Portland OR?
The current average wait time at Portland OR is 8 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8.4 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 246 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 16 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?
This office has faster-than-average wait times at 8 months. 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 Portland OR 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 Portland OR, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 49.9%.
How does Portland OR rank among other hearing offices in the state?
Of the 2 hearing offices in Oregon, Portland OR has the highest approval rate at 64.5%. In terms of wait time, Portland OR ranks 1 of 2 (8 months). Visit the Oregon overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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