Approval rates
Judge Valente maintains a lifetime approval rate of 53% based on 18,735 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate was 51%, which is 5 percentage points lower than the Seattle Hearing Office average of 58% and 5 percentage points below the national average. This data is derived from a decade of service, providing a stable look at her decision-making 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 Valente'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 10 years on the bench, Judge Valente has seen fluctuations in her approval rates, ranging from a low of 46% in 2023 to a high of 61% in 2021. Her recent activity shows a return to 51% in 2025, suggesting a stabilization following the lower rates observed in 2023 and 2024. These shifts often correspond to changes in the complexity of cases or the specific medical evidence presented during those years. The current pattern reflects a return toward her long-term historical average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Valente'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 Valente? A free benefit check tells you if you qualify.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Seattle hearing office
The Seattle Hearing Office serves you throughout Washington, managing a high volume of disability cases. With 6 ALJ judges on the bench, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 58%. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can view the full ALJ roster on the Seattle Hearing Office page.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to Judge Valente is essentially random. Across the Seattle Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJ judges range from 27% to 66%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is critical regardless of the judge assigned. You can find more information on the Seattle 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.