Approval rates
Comparing performance requires looking at consistent data windows. The 64% approval rate for David Cornelius since 2016 provides a baseline, which sits within the 31% to 72% range observed among the bench at the Macon office. During the most recent reporting period, you would find he maintained a 59% approval rate, compared to a 46% rate for the office overall.
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 Cornelius'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, the approval rate for David Cornelius has fluctuated, peaking at 74% in 2017 before trending toward a more moderate range. With 3,817 total decisions on record, the data reflects a judge who has presided over a significant volume of cases. While the 2026 fiscal year-to-date rate of 59% shows a slight decline from the 2023 peak of 67%, the latest period remains consistent with his long-term average.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Cornelius'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 Macon hearing office
The Macon hearing office serves you and other claimants across Georgia. As of the most recent record in July 2026, the office bench consisted of 13 judges with varying approval patterns. The office-wide approval rate for the latest period was 46%, providing a local benchmark for the region.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Macon
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assigned judge is essentially random. There are 13 judges whose most recent office on record is the Macon hearing office. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 31% to 72% since 2016.
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
David Cornelius has an approval rate of 64% since 2016, which is within the 31% to 72% range seen across the bench at the Macon office. An attorney can help you understand how to present your medical evidence effectively for this specific judge.
His approval rate has fluctuated over the years, starting at 66% in 2016 and reaching 59% in the most recent 2026 fiscal year-to-date data. An attorney can help you navigate these trends.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency, making the assignment process random. An attorney can help you prepare regardless of your assignment.
A judge's approval rate is a historical statistic, not a guarantee of how they will rule on your specific claim. Your success depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence and how well you demonstrate your inability to work. An attorney can help you prepare your case to meet these requirements.
