Approval rates
Comparing a judge's history to broader benchmarks helps you understand the context of your upcoming hearing. Judge Mariani maintains an approval rate that outpaces the San Rafael office average of 62%, the state average of 59%, and the national average of 58%. With 15,736 decisions, her record offers a statistically significant look at her tenure. 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 Mariani'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 nine years on the bench, Judge Mariani has maintained a high approval rate, though yearly trends show fluctuation. After an initial period of higher approvals, the rate has stabilized, reflecting a consistent approach to case evaluation. The latest period shows a 72% approval rate, which may stem from changes in the complexity of cases or the evidence presented. This pattern suggests a judge who evaluates each claim based on the specific medical and vocational facts you provide.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Mariani'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 Mariani? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Rafael hearing office
The San Rafael Hearing Office serves a diverse population across California, managing a significant volume of disability claims. With a bench of six judges, the office handles a high caseload that requires efficient and thorough review processes. You can expect a formal environment focused on the medical documentation of your impairments. You can visit the San Rafael Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. At the San Rafael office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 47% to 79%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your own medical evidence is the most important step. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains 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.