Approval rates
Judge Valentino has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 61% over the course of 6,509 decisions. When looking at the most recent reporting period, this rate stands 4 percentage points above the San Diego office average and 3 points above the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant volume of cases, providing a stable statistical foundation for understanding the judge's 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 Valentino'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 6 years on the bench, the judge's approval rate has shown variance, ranging from 54% in 2016 to a peak of 68% in 2020. The data indicates a generally upward trend through 2020 before a shift in the most recent reporting period. This fluctuation is common in administrative law and often reflects changes in the complexity of cases or the specific evidence presented in a given year. The recent data suggests a return toward the judge's long-term average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Valentino'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 Valentino? 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 across Southern California, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 57%, reflecting the broader regional trends in disability adjudication. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. 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. Within the San Diego Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 38% to 68%. Because of this diversity, your experience may differ depending on which judge is assigned to your hearing. You can view the full roster on the San Diego 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.