Approval rates
Martin's approval rate is calculated based on 19,301 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her 66% approval rate compares to the Tulsa OHO office average of 64% and the national average of 58%. These metrics offer a window into past judicial activity, though they do not dictate the outcome of your individual case. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your 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 Martin'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 9 years on the bench, Martin has seen fluctuations in approval patterns, ranging from a low of 53% in 2019 to a high of 79% in 2017. Recent years have shown a more consistent trend, with approval rates stabilizing between 66% and 74% since 2022. These trends reflect the evolving nature of the evidence and case mix presented in the courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Martin'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 Martin? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Tulsa Oho hearing office
The Tulsa OHO serves you and other claimants across Oklahoma, managing a significant volume of disability hearings. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 64%, reflecting the broader regional trends in disability adjudication. You can expect a standard administrative process focused on the review of your medical records and vocational expert testimony. You can visit the Tulsa OHO 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 Tulsa OHO, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 56% to 63%. Because each judge has a unique approach to evaluating medical evidence and vocational testimony, understanding the local bench is helpful.
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.