Approval rates
The approval rate for Judge Marquardt reflects her history of 1,957 lifetime decisions. When compared to the San Antonio Hearing Office latest approval rate of 52% and the national average of 58%, her statistics provide a baseline for understanding the local hearing environment. These figures are derived from official Social Security Administration data to help you understand the landscape of your upcoming 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 Marquardt'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 1 year on the bench, Judge Marquardt has maintained an approval rate of 34% across 1,957 lifetime decisions. Because her rate is lower than the broader office average, it underscores the importance of ensuring your medical documentation is comprehensive and clearly linked to your inability to work. The quality of your evidence remains the primary factor in her decision-making process.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Marquardt'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 Marquardt? 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 across Texas, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 52%, which is a critical benchmark for your claim. You can expect a formal hearing process where the focus is on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the San Antonio 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, making the assignment process essentially random. Within the San Antonio Hearing Office, the bench of 6 judges exhibits a range of lifetime approval rates spanning from 34% to 51%. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the courtroom, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful. You can find more information on the San Antonio 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.