Approval rates
Judge Martin has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 47% over his 6-year tenure. When compared to the latest reporting period, his approval rate sits 5 percentage points below the Birmingham office average of 52% and 11 points below the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 17,774 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting outcomes 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 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 his 6 years on the bench, Judge Martin has seen his approval rates fluctuate, peaking at 51% in 2019 before reaching 43% in the most recent reporting period. This trend shows a period of relative stability followed by a recent shift in approval frequency. Such changes often reflect variations in the case mix or the quality of medical evidence presented in the courtroom. This recent data suggests a continuation of a more conservative trend in his current decision-making pattern.
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? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Birmingham hearing office
The Birmingham Hearing Office serves a large population across Alabama, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an overall latest approval rate of 52%. You should be prepared for a formal process focused on the specific medical evidence supporting your claim. You can visit the Birmingham 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Birmingham office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 38% to 77%. Because of this variance, the judge you draw can influence the procedural flow of your hearing. Preparation remains consistent regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
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.