Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at data from the same timeframe to ensure accuracy. The 41% approval rate for Stephanie Martz reflects her total decisions on record since 2016, which can be measured against the 21% to 93% range of other judges whose most recent office on record is also Seattle. This volume of 951 decisions provides a look at past trends. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Martz. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 27, 2019. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Martz'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
The approval rate for Stephanie Martz shows a trend across the 951 decisions on record since 2016. The data indicates a 45% approval rate in 2016, 44% in 2017, 36% in 2018, and 31% in 2019. This pattern reflects the change in the approval rate over the recorded period. These figures are based on the judge's historical decisions rather than current office benchmarks.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Martz'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.
About the Seattle hearing office
The Seattle hearing office serves you if you are in Washington and the surrounding region. As of the most recent data, 22 judges have their most recent office on record at this location. You can expect a standard administrative hearing process where the quality of your medical evidence is the primary factor in your decision.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Seattle
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 22 judges whose most recent office on record is the Seattle hearing office, with approval rates ranging from 21% to 93% on their since-2016 records. Because each judge maintains their own approach to evaluating evidence, your preparation remains critical regardless of the specific judge assigned to your hearing.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Stephanie Martz has a 41% approval rate on record since 2016. This sits within the broader range of 21% to 93% observed among the 22 judges whose most recent office on record is the Seattle hearing office. An attorney can help you understand how to prepare your case for this specific bench.
Yes, the data shows a change in the approval rate from 45% in 2016 to 31% in 2019 across 951 total decisions. Understanding these trends is part of how an attorney can help you prepare for your hearing.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency, making the assignment process random. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of your assigned judge.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears your testimony. Having an attorney can help you organize your evidence and prepare for the questions the judge may ask.
An approval rate is a probability based on past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. Because every case is unique, an attorney can help you evaluate the strengths of your claim and prepare accordingly.
