Approval rates
Judge Alexander maintains a lifetime approval rate of 44%, a figure derived from 6,904 lifetime decisions over four years on the bench. When compared to the most recent reporting period, the judge's approval rate sits 20 percentage points below the Atlanta Downtown office average and 14 points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for the judge's tenure. 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 Alexander'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 four-year tenure, Judge Alexander has maintained a consistent decision pattern. Starting with a 46% approval rate in 2016, the annual data shows minor fluctuations, moving to 43% in 2017, 41% in 2018, and 44% in 2019. This stability suggests a steady approach to evaluating your disability claim. The recent data reflects a continuation of this established pattern, indicating that the judge's evidentiary requirements remain predictable for you if you are well-prepared.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Alexander'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 Alexander? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Atlanta Downtown hearing office
The Atlanta Downtown Hearing Office serves a large population across Georgia, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of six judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 64% in the latest reporting period. You should expect a rigorous review of your medical records and vocational history. You can visit the Atlanta Downtown 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 your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Atlanta Downtown Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 23% to 69%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical documentation. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent regardless of which judge you are 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.