Special Review Cadre Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
District Of Columbia · SSA Region 12
Approval Rate
66.2%
vs 57.6% national
Wait Time
22 months
vs 8.4 months national
Processing Time
680 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
7,794
awaiting hearing
ALJs
26
active judges
Special Review Cadre 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Dillon | 100% | N/A | 100% | 2 | 5 |
| Helen Valkavich | 85.7% | 14.3% | 57.1% | 7 | 8 |
| Michael Cabotaje | 84.1% | 15.9% | 47.8% | 69 | 89 |
| Ena Weathers | 81.9% | 18.1% | 67.2% | 265 | 397 |
| Amy Benton | 78.8% | 21.2% | 30.3% | 33 | 40 |
| Marykay Rauenzahn | 78.7% | 21.3% | 45.7% | 127 | 162 |
| Jennifer Smiley | 77.6% | 22.4% | 47.6% | 313 | 443 |
| Mark Hockensmith | 74.4% | 25.6% | 58.4% | 262 | 400 |
| Melissa Warner | 72.6% | 27.4% | 47.9% | 73 | 80 |
| Nicholas Ohanesian | 72.2% | 27.8% | 45.8% | 72 | 88 |
| Randolph Alden | 68% | 32% | 51% | 253 | 416 |
| Robert J Labrum | 65.6% | 34.4% | 50.4% | 282 | 422 |
| Kelley Day | 65.4% | 34.6% | 41.5% | 260 | 408 |
| Henry Kramzyk | 64.9% | 35.1% | 28.9% | 114 | 148 |
| Nicholas Walter | 62.9% | 37.1% | 46.9% | 256 | 405 |
| Robert Waller | 60.7% | 39.3% | 41% | 61 | 83 |
| Sandra Dimaggio Wallis | 59.7% | 40.3% | 44.5% | 290 | 452 |
| Michael Carr | 58.7% | 41.3% | 32.6% | 46 | 89 |
| Jeffrey A Ferguson | 57.1% | 42.9% | 23.2% | 56 | 77 |
| Kim Soo Nagle | 55.3% | 44.7% | 29.6% | 253 | 432 |
| Roxanne Fuller | 53.3% | 46.7% | 24.4% | 90 | 119 |
| Kathleen Eiler | 52.3% | 47.7% | 30.8% | 260 | 450 |
| Brian Lucas | 50% | 50% | 33.3% | 6 | 9 |
| Gregory M. Beatty | 47.5% | 52.5% | 29.5% | 61 | 84 |
| April Wexler | 31.4% | 68.6% | 27.5% | 51 | 68 |
| Katie H Pierce | N/A | 100% | N/A | 4 | 5 |
Former Judges at Special Review Cadre
This judge has no recorded decisions at Special Review Cadre 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryann Lunderman | January 2025 | 51.6% | 314 |
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 Special Review Cadre Social Security Hearing Office
Claimants in the Special Review Cadre service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in District Of Columbia. The office is assigned to SSA Region 12 and has 26 active ALJs. With 26 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 66.2%, 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 0% to 100%, a 100-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 22 months, which is longer than the national average of 8.4 months. Longer wait times can reflect higher caseload volume relative to available judges. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 680 days. There are currently 7,794 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 300 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 41.6%. 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 Special Review Cadre Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Special Review Cadre, 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 22 months and 680 days average processing time, claimants at Special Review Cadre can expect a total timeline of roughly 45 months from hearing request to decision. This longer-than-average wait underscores the importance of having complete medical evidence ready well before the hearing date.
Judges at Special Review Cadre have collectively issued 3,566 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 137 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 2 to 313 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Special Review Cadre Hearing Office FAQ
How often are disability cases approved at Special Review Cadre?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 0% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 41.6%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
How many ALJs work at Special Review Cadre?
What is the average case processing time at Special Review Cadre?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 45 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?
How often do judges at Special Review Cadre issue fully favorable decisions?
Is Special Review Cadre's approval rate higher or lower than nearby offices?
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