Approval rates
When evaluating your hearing prospects, it is helpful to look at how a judge's approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Schwartz maintains a lifetime approval rate of 47%, which currently tracks 5 points below the San Antonio Hearing Office average and 11 points below the national average. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 6,743 lifetime decisions, providing a stable view of his historical decision-making. These aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting outcomes for your specific 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 Schwartz'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 Schwartz has seen his approval rates fluctuate, moving from 40% in 2016 to a peak of 53% in 2018 before settling at 47% in 2021. This trend indicates a period of variability in his caseload outcomes, though the most recent data shows a return toward his long-term average. Such shifts are common and often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of medical evidence presented. The latest reporting period suggests a continuation of this established pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Schwartz'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 Schwartz? A free benefit check tells you if you qualify.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Antonio hearing office
The San Antonio Hearing Office serves a large population across Texas, managing a high volume of SSDI claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 52%, reflecting regional trends in disability adjudication. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history when appearing at this office. 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, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the San Antonio Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 39% to 51%. Because assignment is essentially random, you may find yourself before any of the judges at this location. You can review the full roster of judges at 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.