Approval rates
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Judge Case's 84% approval rate sits above the 69% office average, 57% state average, and 58% national average. These figures provide a statistical baseline for the period. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Case'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
Since 2016, Judge Case has issued 4,556 decisions. The approval rate has shown variation over this period, with the most recent 12 months sitting above the 75% average recorded since 2016. The yearly trend shows fluctuations, with the most recent 12 months continuing a pattern of higher approval rates observed in the 2024 and 2026 fiscal years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Case'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.
About the Chattanooga hearing office
The Chattanooga hearing office is the most recent office on record for 16 judges, with 7 of them having decided cases here in SSA's latest file as of July 2026. The office maintained a 69% approval rate over the 12-month window ending July 31, 2026. You can see the Chattanooga hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Chattanooga
Among the 7 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file, approval rates range from 53% to 89% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. There are 16 judges whose most recent office on record is Chattanooga, with 7 of them having decided cases here in SSA's latest file. The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Case's 84%. Two of them last decided cases in Tennessee. With too few close matches there, the rest come from SSA's Atlanta region.
- 89% Approval rate, last 12 months Laura G. McHenry
- 79% Approval rate, last 12 months Stephanie M. Jones
- 84% Approval rate, last 12 months Maria L. Spitz
- 84% Approval rate, last 12 months John A. Thawley
- 85% Approval rate, last 12 months Vincent P. Intoccia
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Case and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Judge Case's 84% approval rate is at the higher end of the 53% to 89% range seen among the 7 judges who decided cases at this office in SSA's latest file. An attorney can help you understand how these local trends might impact your specific hearing strategy.
Judge Case has a 75% approval rate across 4,556 decisions on record since 2016. While the rate has fluctuated annually, the 84% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, is higher than the long-term average. A qualified attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of these historical shifts.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. Because assignment is random, it is important to be prepared for any judge by working with an experienced attorney.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific claim. Your success depends primarily on the medical evidence and documentation you provide. An attorney can help you gather the necessary evidence to present the strongest possible case to Judge Case.
