Approval rates
This table displays the approval rate for Mary Chrzanowski based on her decisions on record since 2016. This figure is measured against the range of approval rates for the 10 judges who decided cases at the Ft Lauderdale hearing office in SSA's latest file. These statistics are based on 95 total decisions on record.
Judge Chrzanowski is not in SSA's latest disposition file, so there is no 12-month figure. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 29, 2017. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Judge Chrzanowski isn't in SSA's latest disposition file, so the judge comparison tool, which compares active judges over the same 12 months, leaves them out.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Chrzanowski'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
Mary Chrzanowski has 95 decisions on record from 2016 through 2017. The data shows an 87% approval rate over this period. The yearly trend indicates a high volume of decisions in 2017 compared to the initial 2016 data. This record reflects the judge's activity through September 2017.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Chrzanowski'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.
About the Ft Lauderdale hearing office
The Ft Lauderdale hearing office serves you in Florida and the surrounding region. This office has a bench of 19 judges whose most recent office on record is this one. You can expect a standard administrative hearing process at this location.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Ft Lauderdale
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Approval rates vary across the bench, with the 10 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file ranging from 21% to 68% on their since-2016 records. There are 19 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, 10 of whom decided cases here in SSA's latest file.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Mary Chrzanowski has an 87% approval rate on record through 2017. This sits above the 21% to 68% range observed among the 10 judges who decided cases at the Ft Lauderdale hearing office in SSA's latest file. An attorney can help you understand how these patterns may relate to your specific case.
The approval rate for Mary Chrzanowski is 87% across the 95 decisions on record from 2016 through 2017. Because the data window for this judge closes in 2017, there is no recent trend to compare against current office activity. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of these historical figures.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a random workload-balancing algorithm. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. The strength of your medical evidence and your testimony are the most important factors in your claim. An attorney can help you gather the necessary evidence to present your strongest case.
