Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Carletti maintains a lifetime approval rate of 51%, which tracks 6 points below the San Diego office average and 7 points below the national average. These figures are derived from 2,392 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
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 Carletti'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 his 2 years on the bench, Judge Carletti has shown a steady trend in his approval patterns. His annual approval rate moved from 49% in 2016 to 54% in 2017, reflecting a consistent approach to case evaluation. This trajectory suggests a stable decision-making process that has remained predictable throughout his tenure. You can find more information on the San Diego Hearing Office page.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Carletti'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 Carletti? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Diego hearing office
The San Diego Hearing Office serves a large population across Southern California, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains an average approval rate of 57%, reflecting the complex nature of the cases heard in this region. You can see the San Diego Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the San Diego office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 38% to 68%. This variance highlights why preparation is essential regardless of your specific assignment. You can view the full roster of judges at the San Diego 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.