Approval rates
Evaluating a judge's approval rate requires looking at their long-term performance alongside recent activity. With 24,082 lifetime decisions, the data provides a stable look at how this judge has approached cases over the last decade. While the latest approval rate of 72% shows a recent shift, it is important to compare this against the Seattle office average of 58% and the national average of 58%. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Mariano-Jackson'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, the approval rate for this judge has shown a notable upward trend. After hovering between 43% and 51% during the middle of their tenure, the rate has climbed significantly in recent years, reaching 72% in the most recent reporting period. This shift marks a distinct change in the judge's historical trajectory compared to their earlier, more conservative decision patterns.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Mariano-Jackson'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 Mariano-Jackson? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Seattle hearing office
The Seattle Hearing Office serves you throughout Washington and the surrounding region. It is staffed by a team of judges who manage a high volume of disability appeals, with an office-wide latest approval rate of 58%. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Seattle Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Across the Seattle bench, the office's 6 ALJs range from 27% to 66% in lifetime approval rates. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is vital to focus on the strength of your medical evidence and testimony.
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.