Approval rates
Comparing a judge's historical performance to current benchmarks provides a clearer picture of the hearing environment. While Judge Brown's lifetime approval rate stands at 39%, recent reporting shows a 47% approval rate, which remains 13 percentage points below the current San Antonio Hearing Office average. These figures are drawn from a significant docket of 22,823 decisions, offering a stable view of past trends. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Brown's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Over a 10-year tenure, Judge Brown's approval rate has shown notable fluctuations. After a period of lower approval rates between 2018 and 2020, the data indicates a recent upward trend in favorable outcomes. The most recent reporting period shows a 47% approval rate, suggesting a shift from the earlier, more restrictive patterns observed in the middle of the decade. This recent activity reflects a continuation of a more moderate decision-making pattern compared to the judge's long-term career average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Brown's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Brown? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Antonio hearing office
The San Antonio Hearing Office serves a large population across Texas, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 52%. You should be prepared for a thorough review of medical evidence, as the office operates within a complex regional caseload. You can see the San Antonio Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your specific judge is selected randomly. Within the San Antonio Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 39% to 66%. While these differences exist, the fundamental requirements for proving disability remain consistent across all courtrooms. You can find more information on the San Antonio Hearing Office page.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.