Approval rates
Judge Wiedemann has issued 21,800 lifetime decisions during her 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate reached 56%, which is 3 percentage points below the Metairie office average and 4 points below the national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases are processed in this office.
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 Wiedemann'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 the past decade, your judge's approval rate has shown an upward trajectory. After fluctuating in the mid-40% to 50% range during her early years on the bench, the rate has climbed, reaching 61% in both 2024 and 2025. This recent shift reflects a period of higher allowance rates compared to her long-term career average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Wiedemann'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 Wiedemann? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Metairie hearing office
The Metairie Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Louisiana as part of a high-volume regional network. With 6 judges presiding over thousands of cases annually, the office maintains an office-wide approval rate of 57%. You should be prepared for a formal hearing process that focuses heavily on your medical evidence and vocational testimony.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Metairie Hearing Office uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Wiedemann is random. Across the office's bench of 6 judges, lifetime approval rates vary, ranging from 43% to 62%. This variance highlights why understanding the tendencies of your assigned judge is a standard part of 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.