Approval rates
Judge Martz has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 41% over her 4 years on the bench. This figure is measured against the Seattle office's latest approval rate of 58% and the national average of 58%. These comparisons are based on 5,716 lifetime decisions, providing a clear view of her historical pattern. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual 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 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
Over her tenure, Judge Martz's approval rate shifted from 43% in 2016 to 31% in 2019. This trend reflects a consistent pattern across her 5,716 lifetime decisions. While the most recent data indicates a lower approval frequency compared to her early years, these fluctuations are common in administrative law as case mixes and evidence standards evolve. This pattern serves as a historical reference point for your hearing preparation.
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.
Hearing with Judge Martz? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Seattle hearing office
The Seattle Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Washington and the surrounding region. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a high volume of cases to ensure timely access to disability benefits. The office currently reports an approval rate of 58%, reflecting the broader environment in which your hearing will take place. You can visit the Seattle Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Seattle office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 27% to 66%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.