Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is useful to compare Judge Curley’s performance against broader benchmarks. His lifetime approval rate of 54% is measured against the Lawrence MA Hearing Office latest rate of 57% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 7,110 lifetime decisions accumulated over his 3 years on the bench. 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 Curley'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 his tenure, Judge Curley has maintained a consistent approach to disability adjudication. His yearly approval rates showed minor fluctuations, moving from 54% in 2016 to 55% in 2017, before settling at 51% in 2018. This pattern suggests a stable decision-making process that remains aligned with the broader trends observed across the Social Security Administration hearing system.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Curley'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 Curley? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Lawrence MA hearing office
The Lawrence MA Hearing Office serves a diverse population across Massachusetts, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 57%. You should be prepared for a formal process centered on the documentation of your impairments under 20 CFR Part 404. You can see the Lawrence MA Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Lawrence MA Hearing Office, the office's 6 ALJs range from 46% to 73% in their lifetime approval rates. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence.
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.