Approval rates
To understand how Marti Kirby compares to peers, look at her 61% approval rate on record since 2016 against the broader bench at the Moreno Valley office. Judges whose most recent office on record is this one show a range of 40% to 72% in their approval rates. In the most recent reporting period, Kirby maintained a 59% approval rate, which is 5 percentage points higher than the office average of 54%.
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 Kirby'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
Since 2016, Marti Kirby has issued 2,938 decisions. After a period of decline between 2019 and 2021, the approval rate increased in 2022 and 2023 before shifting to 59% in the latest reporting period. This pattern reflects how case mix and evolving evidence standards influence outcomes over time.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kirby'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 Moreno Valley hearing office
Marti Kirby's most recent office on record is the Moreno Valley Hearing Office. This office maintains a bench of 7 judges who handle disability claims. The office-wide approval rate in the latest period was 54%, providing a baseline for the local hearing environment.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Moreno Valley
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you draw is essentially random. There are 7 judges whose most recent office on record is the Moreno Valley office, and 4 of them decided cases here in the latest file from July 2026. Approval rates for this bench range from 40% to 72% on their records since 2016.
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
Marti Kirby has an approval rate of 61% on her record since 2016, which falls within the 40% to 72% range observed among the 7 judges whose most recent office on record is Moreno Valley. An attorney can help you understand how to present your medical evidence to best fit the expectations of this office.
Yes, the approval rate for Marti Kirby has fluctuated over the 2,938 decisions on record since 2016. While she reached higher approval levels in 2022 and 2023, her latest-period rate of 59% reflects a more recent trend. An attorney can help you determine how to address these trends in your own hearing.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency across the Moreno Valley office. Because assignment is random, it is vital to be prepared for any judge on the bench. An attorney can help you build a comprehensive case file that stands up to scrutiny regardless of who is presiding.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge like Marti Kirby reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You will likely be asked about your daily limitations and work history. Because the process is complex, an attorney can help you organize your testimony and ensure your medical evidence is clearly presented.
