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Judge Ratings for Portland ME Social Security Hearings (Oct 2024)

October 31, 2024 Disability

The Quality of Portland ME Social Security Hearing Judges

Not great news if you have a Social Security Disability Hearing in Portland! Portland, Maine Social Security Hearing Judges have below average case approval ratings. The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and as you can see from the table below, Portland ME Judges are below average, namely 51%. Could be better! It appears that Portland ME has three out of four judges who are below average, however, the good news is that they are all at or over 40%. We don’t count a judge with less than 50 dispositions, “dispositions” meaning decisions plus dismissals. See the note below.

This page is for Portland ME Social Security Hearings, in other words, for people who live in or near Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Portland, Presque Isle, Rockland, Saco, or Waterville. For other locations near Maine click on:

Judge Ratings for Portland ME Social Security Hearings

Are you wondering if you got a good judge for your Portland ME Social Security Hearing for Disability or SSI scheduled in the Office of Hearing Operations (OHO)? Do you want to know everything you can about the where, why and how of the hearing itself? You’re not alone, most of our clients desperately want to know every detail of their Disability Hearing so that they have the best chance of winning. You might have a hearing in Portland ME if you have a Social Security Disability/SSI appeal and live in or near Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Portland, Presque Isle, Rockland, Saco, or Waterville. The Portland ME Social Security Hearing office is at One Portland Square near the Waterfront, a block East of Cross Insurance Arena. Go Mariners! You can find the name of your judge on a hearing scheduled notice or call the number for the hearing office (at the bottom of this page). Here are all the judges’ statistics and other information that you need, and if you’re looking for a Disability Lawyer serving Portland ME, don’t hesitate to call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.

Judges’ Statistics

The following table is up to date as of October 2024:

Judge

Percent Approved

Total Dispositions

Cutter, Christine

43%

471

Flynn, Robert W

73%

368

Holbrook, Todd S

44%

508

Martin, Paul G

47%

132

Morgan, Aaron M

0%

1

Totals

51%

1480

Social Security Disability Hearing Tip: When you get a hearing date, you will receive a hearing notice from the Judge who has been given your claim to adjudicate. Look for the signature line of the letter with the hearing date and time. Your judge will have signed it, electronically of course. You are likely stuck with the Judge that is assigned to your case, even if the case is postponed. The only time you switch judges is when the original judge has a conflict or when you’ve won two appeals and gotten two remands for new hearings. A Disability Lawyer serving Portland ME, like us, can explain in more detail how judges get assigned and how the decision process should go. Contact us for a free consultation or more information.

Case Approval Rates of Portland ME Social Security Hearing Judges

The national average for case approval rate is 54%, and Portland, Maine Judges are at 51%. Still, many people have really good experiences, because some of the judges and staff genuinely care about other people. And many have very bad experiences in Portland because it still is Social Security, run by the government, which is a complete and utter mess. The judges there are doing the best they can. Do they get decisions wrong sometimes? Of course, they are human. Only those with very low case approval rates might be called biased.

For example, for Portland ME Social Security hearings, Administrative Law Judge Christine Cutter has the lowest case approval rate at 43%. That is actually not very low and surely within the bounds of reason. Judge Cutter could very possibly be just a little skeptical, and if so, that is hard to fault. Reasonable minds can differ sometimes. Note: We don’t count the judges with less than 50 dispositions because it is a small sample size and could be misleading. Or the Judge primarily does hearings in another hearing office. For example, Judge Aaron Morgan appears to only have 1 disposition (decisions plus dismissals) in Portland but has about 20 dispositions in Jersey City, where he usually hears cases. His approval rate is very low but it’s a small sample size so it may improve over time.

We can also see from the table that all but one of the Judges are at 47% or below, so there is a very good chance you will draw one of these judges. If you draw a judge with at or below 47% approval rate then you will need a decent case to win, usually with lots of medical evidence and an opinion from a medical expert (like your doctor) that you are disabled. Make sure you get all of your relevant medical records and try to get a supporting letter from your doctor. To win with a judge at or under 47%, if you’re under age 50 you probably have to have a condition that is life-changing and stops you from working at all (not just part time). If you are age 50 or over you’ll probably need to have the preceding life-changing condition or at least a physical condition that prevents the ability to stand and walk for most of the time. In both cases, you may lose if you have sedentary work experience. Click here to get more information about the rules, or a Disability Lawyer serving Portland ME, like us, can give you the information you need. Click here for a free case evaluation.

Where Will My Hearing Be Held?

Most hearings will be held by phone, the judge’s clerk will call your phone and place you in a conference call. The whole hearing will be held via conference call, it’s actually very efficient. If you have a lawyer the evidence is submitted electronically before the hearing.

If you don’t have a lawyer you’ll have to bring your evidence to the hearing office or mail it in. You can request an in-person hearing, but we don’t advise it. If you do have a in-person hearing or need to submit evidence, check the SSA hearing office locator website. The Portland ME Social Security Hearing office is in Suite 600, One Portland Square, Portland, ME 04101-4092. You’ll go through the metal detectors – don’t bring any weapons, even a pocket knife, or they won’t let you in. Then check in with the staff and wait to be called for your hearing. If you need to reach the Portland ME Social Security hearing office, also known as the Office of Hearing Operations, call (877) 701-2137.

What should I do if I need help with my hearing?

If you do not have a lawyer yet, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) presiding over your case will almost always give you a postponement to try to get a lawyer. These hearings are very difficult without a lawyer, and the ALJs rarely get the evidence they need unless a lawyer is involved. If you need a Disability Lawyer serving Portland ME, no matter what stage your case is in, call us or email us and we will evaluate your case for free.