Approval rates
The approval rate for Ilene B. Kramer is calculated based on 22,622 lifetime decisions rendered during her 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, her 65% approval rate stands 1 percentage point above the San Antonio office average. These statistics provide a broad view of judicial history, yet 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 Kramer'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 her 10 years on the bench, Judge Kramer has seen fluctuations in her approval patterns, ranging from a low of 46% in 2019 to a high of 65% in 2025. Her career shows a consistent presence in the Social Security Administration hearing process, with recent data suggesting a shift toward higher approval outcomes compared to her mid-career years. This trend may reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented in recent dockets.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kramer'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 Kramer? 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 in Texas, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges presiding, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 52%. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical documentation and work history. You can see the San Antonio Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The San Antonio Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is effectively random. Across the office's bench of 6 judges, lifetime approval rates vary from 39% to 53%. Because of this variance, understanding the judicial environment is a standard part of your hearing preparation.
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.