California Social Security Disability Lawyers
If you are thinking about applying for Social Security disability in California, then you should weigh the benefits of hiring an attorney. An experienced Social Security disability lawyer can significantly improve the odds that your case will be approved.
Social Security data from California reveals that 38% of the Social Security disability claims are denied on average. Of course, most applicants that have been denied on their first attempt appeal the decision. However, the chances of approval are even worse in the first phase of the appeals process, which is formally known as reconsideration.
The vast majority of claimants will have to wait until their hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ) to have a significant chance of approval.
California has 17 Hearing Offices where you can go to have your case heard by an ALJ. They are listed in the above table.
Most successful Social Security disability claims are approved during the hearing, largely because the ALJs have more leeway in the way they handle claims and can actually see and hear you while you present evidence of your disability.
Overall, 40% of California disability hearings result in an disability benefits being awarded.
On average, California residents wait 579 days for their hearing before an ALJ. Some Hearing Offices are more favorable than others.
Office | Judges | Avg. Hearing Wait Time | Average Processing Time | Avg. Dispositions Per Day Per ALJ | Cases Dismissed | Cases Approved | Cases Denied |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stockton | 7 | 9 months | 409 days | 2.23 | 22% | 25% | 52% |
San Bernardino | 8 | 20 months | 600 days | 1.74 | 21% | 9% | 70% |
Los Angeles | 6 | 18 months | 575 days | 1.88 | 16% | 47% | 36% |
Los Angeles | 8 | 23 months | 660 days | 1.97 | 17% | 39% | 44% |
Moreno Valley | 9 | 20 months | 624 days | 1.50 | 17% | 48% | 36% |
Fresno | 7 | 19 months | 682 days | 1.89 | 17% | 35% | 49% |
San Diego | 14 | 17 months | 588 days | 1.72 | 21% | 60% | 20% |
Pasadena | 7 | 17 months | 557 days | 2.08 | 19% | 36% | 45% |
Long Beach | 10 | 23 months | 741 days | 0.84 | 19% | 15% | 66% |
Sacramento | 12 | 16 months | 580 days | 1.88 | 19% | 76% | 5% |
San Francisco | 5 | 19 months | 580 days | 1.33 | 20% | 39% | 41% |
San Rafael | 6 | 21 months | 647 days | 1.71 | 50% | 50% | 0% |
Oakland | 10 | 13 months | 461 days | 1.46 | 47% | 30% | 23% |
Orange | 10 | 19 months | 630 days | 1.84 | 16% | 46% | 38% |
Norwalk | 5 | 19 months | 570 days | 2.05 | 15% | 39% | 46% |
San Jose | 6 | 16 months | 433 days | 1.83 | 18% | 34% | 48% |
Santa Barbara | 4 | 15 months | 506 days | 1.92 | 27% | 49% | 24% |
All California | 0 | 18 months | 34 days | 1.76 | 22% | 40% | 38% |
Judge | City of Operation | Full Favorable | Part Favorable | Total ALJ Dispositions | Total Awards | Total Decisions | Total Denials | Total Dispositions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
David J Agatstein | Los Angeles | 49 | 11 | 126 | 60 | 100 | 40 | 126 |
E. Alis | Oakland | 14 | 8 | 66 | 22 | 44 | 22 | 66 |
Josephine Arno | Moreno Valley | 29 | 26 | 129 | 55 | 114 | 59 | 129 |
Kenneth E Ball | Orange | 21 | 20 | 101 | 41 | 80 | 39 | 101 |
Edward T Bauer | Pasadena | 77 | 10 | 154 | 87 | 133 | 46 | 154 |
Peter F Belli | Sacramento | 13 | 2 | 33 | 15 | 29 | 14 | 33 |
Eric V Benham | San Diego | 36 | 6 | 98 | 42 | 69 | 27 | 98 |
Daniel Benjamin | San Bernardino | 42 | 4 | 116 | 46 | 90 | 44 | 116 |
David M Blume | Sacramento | 106 | 3 | 183 | 109 | 145 | 36 | 183 |
Shiva Bozarth | Fresno | 40 | 22 | 106 | 62 | 95 | 33 | 106 |
Richard T Breen | Los Angeles | 28 | 12 | 195 | 40 | 151 | 111 | 195 |
Carol L Buck | Sacramento | 57 | 5 | 112 | 62 | 95 | 33 | 112 |
Thomas D Businger | Moreno Valley | 30 | 8 | 97 | 38 | 77 | 39 | 97 |
Michael A Cabotaje | San Rafael | 58 | 11 | 143 | 69 | 133 | 64 | 143 |
James Carberry | Norwalk | 57 | 7 | 163 | 64 | 137 | 73 | 163 |
Ken H Chau | Pasadena | 33 | 8 | 128 | 41 | 105 | 64 | 128 |
Susanne M Cichanowicz | Orange | 14 | 13 | 122 | 27 | 92 | 65 | 122 |
Diana Coburn | Long Beach | 23 | 8 | 108 | 31 | 85 | 54 | 108 |
Carolyn Cohn-Morros | Orange | 53 | 5 | 115 | 58 | 90 | 32 | 115 |
Donald P Cole | San Diego | 21 | 12 | 90 | 33 | 83 | 50 | 90 |
Bruce T Cooper | Pasadena | 36 | 6 | 115 | 42 | 96 | 54 | 115 |
Paul Coulter | Norwalk | 61 | 7 | 132 | 68 | 102 | 34 | 132 |
James Delphey | San Diego | 14 | 1 | 81 | 15 | 59 | 44 | 81 |
Keith Dietterle | San Diego | 28 | 10 | 80 | 38 | 71 | 33 | 79 |
Barbara Dunn | Los Angeles | 39 | 11 | 116 | 50 | 73 | 23 | 116 |
Lawrence J Duran | Sacramento | 38 | 4 | 85 | 42 | 62 | 20 | 85 |
Carol A Eckersen | Sacramento | 44 | 6 | 109 | 50 | 93 | 43 | 109 |
Robert M Erickson | San Francisco | 49 | 5 | 108 | 54 | 87 | 33 | 108 |
Mary L Everstine | Santa Barbara | 48 | 5 | 107 | 53 | 86 | 33 | 107 |
Laura Fernandez | Santa Barbara | 22 | 10 | 107 | 32 | 94 | 62 | 107 |
John J Flanagan | Oakland | 61 | 1 | 89 | 62 | 74 | 12 | 89 |
Cynthia Floyd | Long Beach | 26 | 6 | 104 | 32 | 89 | 57 | 104 |
Mary M French | Sacramento | 14 | 0 | 31 | 14 | 22 | 8 | 31 |
Joyce Frost-Wolf | Fresno | 30 | 23 | 137 | 53 | 117 | 64 | 137 |
Thomas J Gaye | San Jose | 48 | 3 | 101 | 51 | 91 | 40 | 101 |
Kevin Gill | Oakland | 36 | 11 | 109 | 47 | 80 | 33 | 109 |
Sara A Gillis | Sacramento | 72 | 20 | 168 | 92 | 146 | 54 | 168 |
James D Goodman | Pasadena | 27 | 9 | 117 | 36 | 97 | 61 | 117 |
Edward C Graham | Long Beach | 65 | 4 | 127 | 69 | 100 | 31 | 127 |
Mark B Greenberg | San Diego | 42 | 8 | 85 | 50 | 71 | 21 | 85 |
Odell Grooms | Long Beach | 0 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Odell Grooms | Sacramento | 26 | 0 | 56 | 26 | 38 | 12 | 55 |
Evelyn M Gunn | Los Angeles | 23 | 7 | 69 | 30 | 48 | 18 | 69 |
T. Patrick Hannon | San Jose | 71 | 7 | 143 | 78 | 122 | 44 | 143 |
Jr., Mason D Harrell | San Bernardino | 47 | 6 | 115 | 53 | 87 | 34 | 115 |
Daniel G Heely | Stockton | 172 | 8 | 321 | 180 | 305 | 125 | 321 |
Evangelina P Hernandez | Oakland | 50 | 5 | 95 | 55 | 80 | 25 | 95 |
Sanya Hill-Maxion | Stockton | 24 | 8 | 45 | 32 | 39 | 7 | 45 |
Mark Hockensmith | Long Beach | 0 | 1 | 105 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Susan Hoffman | Los Angeles | 12 | 10 | 58 | 22 | 50 | 28 | 58 |
Serena S Hong | San Rafael | 45 | 21 | 122 | 66 | 105 | 39 | 122 |
Sharilyn Hopson | Orange | 34 | 12 | 122 | 46 | 90 | 44 | 122 |
Robert Iafe | San Diego | 22 | 3 | 57 | 25 | 46 | 21 | 57 |
Paul Isherwood | San Bernardino | 32 | 5 | 91 | 37 | 70 | 33 | 91 |
Derek Johnson | Moreno Valley | 27 | 7 | 97 | 34 | 76 | 42 | 97 |
John Kays | Orange | 50 | 11 | 114 | 61 | 93 | 32 | 114 |
Jean R Kerins | Long Beach | 15 | 9 | 61 | 24 | 32 | 8 | 35 |
Marti Kirby | Moreno Valley | 26 | 8 | 86 | 34 | 66 | 32 | 86 |
Christopher C Knowdell | Sacramento | 55 | 9 | 152 | 64 | 119 | 55 | 152 |
Henry Koltys | Santa Barbara | 53 | 3 | 137 | 56 | 119 | 63 | 137 |
Judith A Kopec | Stockton | 48 | 10 | 109 | 58 | 98 | 40 | 109 |
K. Kwon | San Rafael | 73 | 15 | 135 | 88 | 115 | 27 | 135 |
David LaBarre | Oakland | 20 | 20 | 106 | 40 | 86 | 46 | 106 |
Robert J Labrum | Long Beach | 29 | 3 | 74 | 32 | 54 | 22 | 66 |
Robert Lenzini | San Bernardino | 37 | 13 | 111 | 50 | 87 | 37 | 111 |
Jay E Levine | San Diego | 42 | 11 | 111 | 53 | 95 | 42 | 111 |
Kelly B Lind | Orange | 52 | 11 | 111 | 63 | 86 | 23 | 110 |
Elizabeth R Lishner | Los Angeles | 32 | 10 | 106 | 42 | 74 | 32 | 106 |
Joseph P Lisiecki III | Orange | 47 | 4 | 139 | 51 | 100 | 49 | 139 |
Katherine Loo | San Bernardino | 23 | 3 | 83 | 26 | 55 | 29 | 70 |
Katherine Loo | San Francisco | 4 | 0 | 83 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
Lisa Lunsford | San Francisco | 61 | 13 | 119 | 74 | 101 | 27 | 119 |
Phillip C Lyman | San Jose | 52 | 3 | 93 | 55 | 65 | 10 | 93 |
Jane M Maccione | Stockton | 26 | 5 | 100 | 31 | 79 | 48 | 100 |
Sharon L Madsen | Fresno | 14 | 33 | 160 | 47 | 138 | 91 | 160 |
David G Marcus | Los Angeles | 18 | 10 | 96 | 28 | 66 | 38 | 96 |
Julia Mariani | San Rafael | 76 | 6 | 108 | 82 | 99 | 17 | 108 |
Alan J Markiewicz | Orange | 23 | 3 | 72 | 26 | 53 | 27 | 72 |
Paula M Martin | Moreno Valley | 35 | 18 | 110 | 53 | 95 | 42 | 110 |
David R Mazzi | Oakland | 32 | 2 | 74 | 34 | 40 | 6 | 74 |
Kevin W Messer | San Diego | 41 | 20 | 163 | 61 | 142 | 81 | 163 |
Ruxana Meyer | Fresno | 8 | 2 | 127 | 10 | 20 | 10 | 30 |
Ruxana Meyer | San Jose | 26 | 19 | 127 | 45 | 95 | 50 | 97 |
Cynthia A Minter | Norwalk | 52 | 10 | 84 | 62 | 80 | 18 | 84 |
Vincent A. Misenti | Stockton | 21 | 4 | 108 | 25 | 95 | 70 | 108 |
Donna M Montano | Pasadena | 70 | 5 | 117 | 75 | 99 | 24 | 117 |
James L Moser | Los Angeles | 68 | 2 | 134 | 70 | 93 | 23 | 134 |
William K Mueller | San Diego | 70 | 15 | 138 | 85 | 109 | 24 | 138 |
Daniel Myers | Sacramento | 57 | 6 | 148 | 63 | 124 | 61 | 148 |
James P Nguyen | Norwalk | 38 | 1 | 88 | 39 | 74 | 35 | 88 |
Wynne O'Brien-Persons | San Rafael | 23 | 13 | 72 | 36 | 56 | 20 | 72 |
Mary Beth O'Connor | San Rafael | 11 | 2 | 27 | 13 | 19 | 6 | 27 |
Sung Park | Los Angeles | 23 | 7 | 112 | 30 | 68 | 38 | 89 |
Mary P Parnow | San Francisco | 55 | 8 | 138 | 63 | 108 | 45 | 138 |
Michael D Radensky | Norwalk | 44 | 10 | 139 | 54 | 110 | 56 | 139 |
Sally C Reason | Los Angeles | 41 | 3 | 126 | 44 | 90 | 46 | 126 |
Gail Reich | Los Angeles | 68 | 10 | 182 | 78 | 140 | 62 | 182 |
Michael B Richardson | San Diego | 49 | 7 | 138 | 56 | 105 | 49 | 138 |
Brenton L Rogozen | San Jose | 31 | 44 | 172 | 75 | 147 | 72 | 172 |
Robin Rosenbluth | Los Angeles | 41 | 13 | 137 | 54 | 101 | 47 | 137 |
Joseph D Schloss | Moreno Valley | 32 | 5 | 75 | 37 | 64 | 27 | 75 |
Randolph E Schum | San Diego | 17 | 17 | 126 | 34 | 106 | 72 | 126 |
Scot Septer | Fresno | 37 | 14 | 123 | 51 | 105 | 54 | 123 |
Troy Silva | San Bernardino | 35 | 3 | 64 | 38 | 49 | 11 | 64 |
Clary Simmonds | Moreno Valley | 37 | 5 | 107 | 42 | 94 | 52 | 107 |
Philip J Simon | Pasadena | 48 | 5 | 97 | 53 | 76 | 23 | 97 |
Trevor Skarda | Stockton | 47 | 16 | 135 | 63 | 118 | 55 | 135 |
Regina L Sleater | San Jose | 27 | 2 | 43 | 29 | 37 | 8 | 43 |
Timothy S Snelling | Fresno | 40 | 16 | 113 | 56 | 102 | 46 | 113 |
Elizab Stevens Bentley | San Bernardino | 48 | 20 | 131 | 68 | 98 | 30 | 118 |
Elizab Stevens Bentley | San Francisco | 6 | 1 | 131 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 13 |
Nancy M Stewart | Fresno | 49 | 13 | 110 | 62 | 96 | 34 | 110 |
Matilda Surh | Stockton | 23 | 6 | 101 | 29 | 81 | 52 | 101 |
Michelle Thompson | Los Angeles | 9 | 0 | 93 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 10 |
Michelle Thompson | Sacramento | 3 | 0 | 93 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
John C Tobin | Long Beach | 19 | 2 | 38 | 21 | 27 | 6 | 38 |
Cheryl Tompkin | Oakland | 15 | 10 | 71 | 25 | 63 | 38 | 71 |
Joel Tracy | San Bernardino | 40 | 16 | 137 | 56 | 109 | 53 | 137 |
Howard K Treblin | San Diego | 50 | 7 | 110 | 57 | 90 | 33 | 110 |
Lesley Troope | Pasadena | 62 | 9 | 131 | 71 | 101 | 30 | 131 |
John Trunick | Moreno Valley | 50 | 13 | 95 | 63 | 83 | 20 | 95 |
Debra M Underwood | Oakland | 42 | 6 | 86 | 48 | 70 | 22 | 86 |
Peter J Valentino | San Diego | 16 | 1 | 44 | 17 | 34 | 17 | 44 |
Andrew Verne | San Diego | 21 | 3 | 97 | 24 | 74 | 50 | 97 |
Plauche F Villere Jr. | Sacramento | 132 | 13 | 253 | 145 | 232 | 87 | 253 |
Melissa Warner | Long Beach | 0 | 0 | 101 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Ena Weathers | Long Beach | 3 | 1 | 80 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 12 |
Alexander Weir III | Los Angeles | 49 | 3 | 153 | 52 | 97 | 45 | 151 |
Alexander Weir III | Moreno Valley | 1 | 0 | 153 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Jr., Major Williams | Oakland | 35 | 1 | 67 | 36 | 45 | 9 | 67 |
Roger E Winkelman | Santa Barbara | 46 | 3 | 101 | 49 | 95 | 46 | 101 |
John W Wojciechowski | Orange | 33 | 0 | 85 | 33 | 53 | 20 | 62 |
Arthur Zeidman | Oakland | 42 | 7 | 100 | 49 | 85 | 36 | 100 |
Stacy Zimmerman | Orange | 27 | 20 | 127 | 47 | 107 | 60 | 127 |