Approval rates
Judge Bentley maintains a lifetime approval rate of 47%, compared to the 58% national average. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate was 48%, which is 11 percentage points below the state and national benchmarks. These figures are derived from a docket of 3,236 lifetime decisions, providing a look at her decision-making history. 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 Bentley'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 your 3 years on the bench, Judge Bentley has seen her approval rate trend upward, moving from 44% in 2023 to 51% in 2025. While her lifetime average remains at 47%, the recent increase suggests a shift in her decision pattern. This trend may reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented in recent hearings. The latest period shows a continuation of this pattern as she manages her active docket.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bentley'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.
Have a hearing with Judge Bentley? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Atlanta Downtown hearing office
The Atlanta Downtown Hearing Office serves a significant population across Georgia, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide approval rate that often exceeds individual judge averages. You can expect a professional environment focused on the evaluation of medical and vocational evidence. See the Atlanta Downtown Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
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 Downtown office, lifetime approval rates across the bench range from 23% to 69%. This variance highlights why understanding the specific tendencies of your assigned judge is a vital part of your preparation. You can find more information on the Atlanta Downtown 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.