Approval rates
Judge Sleater maintains a lifetime approval rate of 72%, a figure derived from 8,712 decisions during her 5-year tenure. Her approval rate remains higher than the San Jose Hearing Office average of 58% and the national average of 58%. This data provides a statistical baseline for understanding her history on the bench. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions 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 Sleater'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 5 years on the bench, Judge Sleater has demonstrated a consistent decision pattern with an overall approval rate of 72%. Her yearly trend shows fluctuation, ranging from a low of 67% in 2017 to a high of 80% in 2020. These shifts often correlate with changes in case complexity or the specific evidence presented during those periods. The recent data reflects a stable approach to evaluating disability claims.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Sleater'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.
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Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Jose hearing office
The San Jose Hearing Office serves a diverse population across California, managing a significant volume of SSDI cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 58%. You can expect a review process where medical documentation and vocational testimony are central to the outcome. You can see the San Jose 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 your assignment is essentially random. Within the San Jose Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 48% to 78%. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the courtroom, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful. You can visit the San Jose Hearing Office page for more information on the local bench.
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.