Approval rates
Judge Treblin's approval rate is calculated from a significant docket of 20,460 lifetime decisions. In the latest reporting period, his 71% approval rate compares favorably against the San Diego office average of 57% and the national average of 58%. These figures offer a baseline for understanding how cases have been decided in his courtroom. You can learn more about the office's performance on the San Diego Hearing Office page.
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 Treblin'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 10-year tenure, Judge Treblin has seen fluctuations in his approval patterns. After a period of lower approval rates between 2021 and 2023, the data shows a notable upward trend, reaching a 72% approval rate in 2025. This recent shift illustrates the evolving nature of his courtroom decisions over the last decade.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Treblin'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 Treblin? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the San Diego hearing office
The San Diego Hearing Office serves a large population in Southern California, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office handles a diverse range of medical and vocational evidence. You can expect a professional environment focused on the specific merits of your disability claim. You can see the San Diego Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the San Diego bench, lifetime approval rates for judges range from 38% to 68%. Because of this variance, understanding the general environment of the office is helpful for your case preparation.
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.