Approval rates
Judge Holmes has maintained a consistent record over her 10-year tenure, with a lifetime approval rate of 42%. In the most recent reporting period, your approval rate was 41%, which is 10 percentage points lower than the San Antonio Hearing Office average and 16 points below the national average. These figures are drawn from a significant docket of 21,367 lifetime decisions, providing a stable view of historical patterns. 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 Holmes'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Holmes has seen fluctuations in approval rates, ranging from a low of 33% in 2017 to a high of 53% in 2018. The data shows a period of relative stability in recent years, with rates hovering near the 41% to 47% mark. The latest reporting period shows a slight decline compared to the 2024 peak, reflecting a continuation of long-term decision-making trends. This pattern suggests that your case outcome remains sensitive to the specific medical evidence and vocational testimony you present at the hearing.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Holmes'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 Holmes? 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 an active caseload that reflects broader regional trends in Social Security Disability Insurance claims. You can expect a formal process focused on your medical documentation and vocational expert testimony. You can view the full ALJ roster on the San Antonio Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to Judge Holmes is essentially random. Across the San Antonio Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 39% to 51%. While these variations exist, the core requirements for proving disability remain constant for every judge. 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.