Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to look at how Judge Walters compares to broader benchmarks. Her lifetime approval rate of 23% is measured against the latest Stockton office average of 44% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 6,283 lifetime decisions, providing a clear view of her historical adjudication patterns. 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 Walters'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 3 years on the bench, Judge Walters has maintained a distinct pattern of decision-making. Her yearly approval rates show a downward trend, moving from 31% in 2016 to 17% by 2018. This shift suggests a consistent approach to the evidence presented in her courtroom over the course of her tenure. These trends are useful for understanding the environment of your hearing, though your case is ultimately decided on its own unique merits.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Walters'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 Walters? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Stockton hearing office
The Stockton Hearing Office serves a large population of applicants in California, managing a high volume of SSDI cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 44%. You should expect a professional environment focused on the specific medical and vocational evidence of your claim. You can see the Stockton 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 your assignment to Judge Walters is essentially random. Within the Stockton Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 23% to 61%. This variance highlights why the specific evidence in your file remains the most critical factor in your outcome. You can find more information on the Stockton 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.