Approval rates
Comparing a judge's history to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Auerbach maintains an 86% lifetime approval rate, outpacing the Atlanta North office average of 49% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from 1,700 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than predicting the outcome of your specific 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 Auerbach'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
Judge Auerbach has served on the bench for 2 years, maintaining an 86% approval rate throughout this tenure. The data shows a consistent pattern of decision-making across 1,700 lifetime decisions. This consistency suggests a stable approach to evaluating the medical and vocational evidence you provide.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Auerbach'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 Auerbach? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Atlanta North hearing office
The Atlanta North Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Georgia and the surrounding region. As one of the busier hubs, it manages a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 49%. You should expect a professional environment focused on the medical and vocational evidence presented in your file.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the Atlanta North office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 22% to 86%. This variance highlights why understanding the local bench is helpful, even though you cannot select your judge.
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.