Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge LaMarche currently maintains a 56% approval rate in the latest reporting period, which is 1 point below the Valparaiso IN Hearing Office average of 58%. This data is derived from a significant docket of 4,261 lifetime decisions, offering a stable view of her decision-making history. 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 LaMarche'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
Judge LaMarche has presided over 4,261 lifetime decisions during your 3 years on the bench. After an initial period in 2023, your approval rate stabilized at 57% throughout 2024 and 2025. This consistency suggests a steady approach to case evaluation that aligns closely with regional and national norms. The current pattern indicates a predictable environment for you, where the quality of medical evidence remains the primary driver of the outcome.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge LaMarche'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 LaMarche? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Valparaiso IN hearing office
The Valparaiso IN Hearing Office serves you across the region, managing a high volume of disability cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office maintains a latest approval rate of 58%, reflecting the broader trends seen across the state of Indiana. You should expect a standard hearing process focused on medical documentation and vocational testimony. See the Valparaiso IN 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Valparaiso IN Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges on the bench range from 48% to 65%. This variance highlights why understanding the local bench is helpful, though the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent. The guidance for your preparation is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.