Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes. While your judge's lifetime approval rate stands at 70%, his latest-period performance shows an approval rate of 76%. This latest-period figure sits 10 percentage points higher than the Atlanta Downtown office average of 66%. These metrics provide a baseline for understanding how your case may be evaluated.
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 Childs'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, J. Samuel Childs has presided over 3,187 lifetime decisions. The yearly trend shows a steady pattern of approvals, with recent data from 2026 indicating a 76% approval rate. This latest period reflects a continuation of his established decision-making history. Understanding this pattern helps you and your representative focus on the specific evidence required to meet the burden of proof in your claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Childs'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.
Reading this because a claim was denied? Decode the letter — what the sentence means, what to file, and by when.
About the Atlanta Downtown hearing office
The Atlanta Downtown hearing office serves claimants throughout the region. The office-wide latest-period approval rate is 66%, reflecting the local environment for disability claims. You can expect a review process where the quality of medical documentation remains the primary factor in a favorable outcome.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is random. There are 22 judges on record at this office since 2016, 9 of whom reported data in the latest period. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 23% to 86% on a lifetime basis.
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
J. Samuel Childs currently maintains a latest-period approval rate of 76%, which is 10 percentage points higher than the Atlanta Downtown office average of 66%. While this indicates he is currently approving cases at a higher rate than his peers, every case is unique. An attorney can help you prepare your case to meet the specific evidentiary standards of this bench.
The approval rate for J. Samuel Childs has remained relatively steady over his career, with a lifetime rate of 70%. While there are year-to-year fluctuations, such as the 76% rate observed in 2026, the overall trend remains consistent. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to the specific medical evidence in your claim.
No, you cannot request a specific judge for your SSDI hearing. The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, ensuring that assignments remain random and impartial. Because you cannot choose your judge, working with an attorney is the best way to ensure your case is prepared for any outcome. An attorney can help you prepare your case to meet the specific evidentiary standards of this bench.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where the judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You will likely be questioned about your work history, daily limitations, and the severity of your impairments. An attorney can help you prepare for these questions and ensure your testimony is clear and consistent with your medical records.
A judge's approval rate is a reflection of past decisions and not a guarantee of your specific outcome. While J. Samuel Childs has a lifetime approval rate of 70%, your success depends primarily on the strength of your medical evidence and how well you demonstrate your inability to work. An attorney can help you identify gaps in your evidence that could impact your hearing.