San Francisco Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
California · SSA Region 09
Approval Rate
45.3%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
8 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
309 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
965
awaiting hearing
ALJs
10
active judges
San Francisco 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael A Cabotaje | 100% | N/A | 100% | 1 | 1 |
| Tom Duann | 100% | N/A | 100% | 1 | 1 |
| Katherine Loo | 63.7% | 36.3% | 55.9% | 102 | 115 |
| Gloria Pellegrino | 59.9% | 40.1% | 50.9% | 287 | 349 |
| Mary P Parnow | 50.5% | 49.5% | 45.3% | 307 | 379 |
| Michelle Thompson | 50% | 50% | 50% | 4 | 4 |
| Matilda Surh | 46.5% | 53.5% | 38% | 187 | 218 |
| Matt Midles | 44.2% | 55.8% | 41.9% | 43 | 66 |
| Melinda Yurich | 23.2% | 76.8% | 19.8% | 354 | 423 |
| Jennifer M Horne | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1 |
About the San Francisco Social Security Hearing Office
Claimants in the San Francisco 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 10 active ALJs. With 10 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 45.3%, which is below the national average of 58.3%. This rate is shaped by the interplay of case characteristics, local representation patterns, and individual judge decision tendencies. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 23.2% to 100%, a 77-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 309 days. There are currently 965 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 97 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 55.8%. 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 San Francisco Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at San Francisco, 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 309 days average processing time, claimants at San Francisco can expect a total timeline of roughly 18 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at San Francisco have collectively issued 1,286 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 129 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 354 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
San Francisco Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at San Francisco?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 23.2% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 55.8%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at San Francisco?
How long do disability cases take at San Francisco?
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.