Approval rates
Evaluating a judge's approval rate requires looking at the broader context of their career. Judge Wyatt has issued 18,796 lifetime decisions, providing a substantial data set for review. While the latest reporting period shows an approval rate of 61%, this is compared against the San Juan office average of 68% and the national average of 58%. These figures reflect historical trends rather than specific outcomes for your case.
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 Wyatt'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 Wyatt's approval patterns have shifted notably. After a period of lower approval rates between 2019 and 2021, the data shows a consistent rise in approvals starting in 2022. The most recent reporting period reflects a continuation of this upward trend, moving toward the 60% mark. This shift suggests that recent case outcomes have diverged from the lower rates observed earlier in the judge's career.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Wyatt'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 Wyatt? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Juan hearing office
The San Juan Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Puerto Rico, managing a high volume of disability cases. With 6 judges currently on the bench, the office maintains an active docket and handles a diverse range of medical and vocational evidence. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on the specific requirements of your impairment. You can visit the San Juan Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the San Juan Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the office's 6 ALJs range from 43% to 83%. Because of this variance, understanding the office environment is helpful for your preparation. The guidance for your hearing remains consistent regardless of which judge is assigned.
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.