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Official SSA Data

San Francisco Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

California · SSA Region 09

Approval Rate

45.3%

vs 57.6% national

Wait Time

8 months

vs 8.4 months national

Processing Time

270 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

1,361

awaiting hearing

ALJs

8

active judges

San Francisco 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
Michael Cabotaje 100% N/A 100% 4 7
Timothy Suing 100% N/A N/A 1 2
Gloria Pellegrino 58.6% 41.4% 43.9% 367 429
Mary Parnow 54.1% 45.9% 49.1% 381 477
Matt Midles 44.9% 55.1% 36.2% 254 332
Matilda Surh 44.6% 55.4% 34.8% 368 449
Yasmin Elias 40% 60% 20% 5 6
Melinda Yurich 24.3% 75.7% 17.6% 375 467

Former Judges at San Francisco

This judge has no recorded decisions at San Francisco 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
Jennifer M Horne October 2023 100% 1

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 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 8 active ALJs.

The office's average approval rate is 45.3%, which is below the national average of 57.6%. 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 24.3% to 100%, a 76-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 270 days. There are currently 1,361 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 170 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 37.7%. A fully favorable decision awards benefits from the claimant's requested onset date, while a partially favorable decision may set a later onset date. Both count toward the overall approval rate.

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 270 days average processing time, claimants at San Francisco can expect a total timeline of roughly 17 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at San Francisco have collectively issued 1,755 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 219 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 381 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

San Francisco Hearing Office FAQ

What are my chances of approval at San Francisco?
The average ALJ approval rate at San Francisco is 45.3% 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 24.3% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 37.7%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at San Francisco?
The San Francisco office has 8 administrative law judges. Of these, 5 have issued 50 or more decisions in the 12 months ending July 2026. Decision counts range from 1 to 381 in the 12 months ending July 2026. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long do disability cases take at San Francisco?
The current average wait time at San Francisco is 8 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8.4 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 270 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 17 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?
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. These figures rely on SSA's publicly released disposition records, which are processed and incorporated into our database as each reporting cycle concludes.
What percentage of approvals at San Francisco are fully favorable?
A fully favorable outcome awards benefits from the date the claimant first alleged disability. A partially favorable outcome also results in an award but may recognize a later onset date, reducing retroactive benefits. In the approval rate shown here, both types of favorable decisions are included. At San Francisco, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 37.7%.
How does San Francisco rank among other hearing offices in the state?
Of the 17 hearing offices in California, San Francisco ranks 16 of 17 with an approval rate of 45.3%. In terms of wait time, San Francisco ranks 1 of 17 (8 months). Visit the California overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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