Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. While the national average approval rate currently sits at 58%, Judge Sepulveda Anavitarte has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 66% over 16,227 decisions. This data reflects a significant volume of cases, offering a clear view of their adjudication history. 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 Anavitarte'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 a decade on the bench, Judge Sepulveda Anavitarte has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability claims. The yearly trend shows a steady approval rate that has seen a recent increase, with the latest period reaching 73%. This recent performance indicates a shift compared to the long-term average, which may be influenced by changes in the types of cases heard or the quality of evidence presented. This pattern suggests a judge who remains responsive to the specific merits of each claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Anavitarte'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 Anavitarte? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Juan hearing office
The San Juan Hearing Office serves you throughout Puerto Rico, managing a high volume of disability cases. With a team of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 68%. You can expect a formal process focused on the medical and vocational evidence presented in your file. You can see the San Juan 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. At the San Juan Hearing Office, approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 43% to 83% across the 6 judges. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your own medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same 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.