Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Markiewicz holds a 53% lifetime approval rate, which tracks 5 points below the national average of 58% and 9 points below the Orange office average of 62%. These figures are derived from a docket of 20,350 lifetime decisions. 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 Markiewicz'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 his 9 years on the bench, Judge Markiewicz has maintained a steady approval pattern. While his annual rates fluctuated between 49% and 56% since 2016, the data shows a consistent approach to case evaluation. The most recent reporting period shows a 49% approval rate in 2024. This trend reflects the ongoing nature of his caseload and the specific evidentiary requirements he prioritizes in his courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Markiewicz'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 Markiewicz? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Orange hearing office
The Orange Hearing Office serves a large population in California, managing a high volume of SSDI claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 62%. You can expect a formal process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Orange Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Orange Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 44% to 59%. This variance highlights why it is important to be prepared for any judge assigned to your file. You can find more information on the Orange Hearing Office page.
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.